COCOBOD terminates Free SHS scholarship scheme

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) terminates the outfit’s Free SHS scholarship scheme. According to COCOBOD, its decision was a result of the government’s implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) initiative, which meant it was no longer prudent to reward such scholarships.

The board has therefore decided to rechannel such scholarship resources into a trust that will provide schools in the Cocoa growing area with key school infrastructure to help improve their standards.

Speaking on the matter, the board chair, Mr. Peter Mac Manu, indicated that the termination of the scholarship was prudent and resulted from the introduction of the government’s Free SHS policy.

“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,” he explained.

“We will invest in kindergarten, primary and junior high schools so that more structures will be constructed,” he indicated.

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The COCOBOD Scholarship Scheme was introduced several decades ago to provide the needed financial support to students who were from areas where cocoa was cultivated and aimed at supporting the children of cocoa farmers.

“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.

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We hope that the new policy direction of the COCOBOD Scholarship Scheme will significantly contribute to providing the necessary infrastructure support to help close the infrastructure deficit in schools.