Ghanaian teacher Portia Dzifa Dzilah from Pakro Anglican Basic School in the Akwapem South Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region has made history as the first-ever Ghanaian regional winner of the 2025 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards organised by Cambridge University Press and Assessment in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Selected by the judges for her incredible dedication to the young people in her community, Ms Dzilah is the first Ghanaian teacher to be recognised as a regional winner in the competition’s seven-year history. 

She is one of nine regional winners of the global Cambridge competition that celebrates the achievements of teachers around the world.

As a regional winner, she will receive £500 worth of books for her class, a trophy, take part in a regional awards ceremony and receive publicity for herself and her school during the coming year.

She will also appear on a ‘Thank you’ page at the front of a range of new Cambridge textbooks, available to the public from November 2025.
 
Background

Pakro is a farming community facing challenges such as truancy, teenage pregnancy, and low school enrolment, especially for girls.

Ms Dzilah, a subject teacher, through her dedication, has mentored girls on food and sanitary initiatives and formed a gender club for her students as their first step to a transformed life.  

Speaking on her nomination, Ms Dzilah said, “This recognition is not just about me; it’s about the children of Pakro and every girl who has ever been told her dreams are out of reach.

“I became a teacher to do more than deliver lessons, I became a teacher to change lives. My mission has always been to make sure no child is left behind,” she said.

She explained that education was a lifeline, affirming her continuous commitment to fighting for every child to have access to it. 

“When we invest in our children, we invest in the future of our communities,” she added.

The Managing Director of International Education, Rod Smith, said “At Cambridge, we are constantly inspired by the stories of teachers, who go above and beyond, not for recognition but because they believe in the power of education to change lives.”

He said in an industry where artificial intelligence (AI) was making all the headlines, it was uplifting to see the warmth and humanity that this year’s winners had brought to their classrooms.

Mr Smith explained that the awards ceremony was a yearly reminder that teachers remained the most vital part of delivering a rounded education.

“Technology, no matter how sophisticated, cannot replicate the empathy, creativity, social guidance and sheer inspiration that a great teacher like Portia can provide.

“I congratulate Portia on her immense accomplishments, which I am sure will inspire teachers and learners across Ghana,” Mr Smith said.