COCOBOD abolishes SHS scholarship scheme amid Free SHS policy
Following the successful implementation of the government’s flagship Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy, the management of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has terminated its long-running scholarship scheme.
In replacement of the terminated scholarship scheme, the board has established the Cocoa Board Education Trust, aimed at providing essential primary school infrastructure in underserved cocoa-growing communities.
Explaining the reason for the scholarship scheme termination, the chairman of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Peter Mac Manu said it was necessary due to the impact of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) initiative
“With the advent of the free SHS by the Akufo-Addo administration, it’s time for us to adapt and evolve.” The COCOBOD Scholarship Scheme, while a notable and valuable programme, has naturally lost its core purpose
As we bid farewell to the Scholarship Scheme, we must look forward and prioritise the continued educational advancement of the cocoa farming community. It’s with this vision that the board of directors has decided to establish the Ghana Cocoa Board Education Trust.
This trust is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the prosperity and well-being of cocoa farmers and their children. The primary objective of the Education Trust is clearly to focus on providing essential primary school infrastructure in underserved cocoa growing areas.” he said.
In other news, President Akufo-Addo says that amid the introduction of the Free Senior High School programme, the highest-ever enrolment of first-year students into Senior High School in our nation’s history was recorded this year.
His Excellency disclosed this while speaking at Ghana’s 67th Independence Day anniversary at Koforidua in the Eastern Region on Wednesday, 6 March 2024, adding “We have a lot to be proud of, but we have more work to do.
“I am happy that, through the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy, we are removing financial barriers to education, unlocking the potential of thousands of young Ghanaians, and laying the foundation for a brighter future for our country.
This year, we have seen the highest-ever enrolment of first-year students into senior high school in our nation’s history, that is five hundred and three thousand (503,000) students, a clear indication of the widespread embrace of the Free Senior High School Policy”, he announced.
About Free SHS
In September 2017, the Ministry of Education achieved a major milestone with the implementation of the Free Senior High School program. That year, there was an 11% increase in enrolment, breaking records from previous years.
In the 2017/2018 academic year, a new record was set with the highest enrolment ever seen in the country with more than 470,000 students enrolled in various government Senior High Schools (SHSs) amid the Free SHS programme.
Under the Free SHS policy, every Ghanaian child who is placed into a public Second Cycle Institution by the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) is eligible for a free SHS education.