More students enjoy cocoa scholarship

Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has increased its annual cocoa scholarship awards to SHS students from 3, 800 to 5,000 for the 2014/2015 academic year.

This represents an increase of 1,200 constituting 31.6% from the previous year's allocation.

Mr. Arnold Mensa–Bonsu, Deputy Director of Scholarship explained that the 5,000 awards consist of new entrants to Senior High Schools as well as continuing students who could not access the scheme at the time of entering SHS one (1).

He added that the increase, coupled with 6,500 already existing awards in Senior High Schools, brings the current annual beneficiary status to 11,500; the highest allocation since the scheme was introduced in 1951.

Mr. Mensa–Bonsu stated that the COCOBOD Scholarship Scheme is one of the many interventions put in place to motivate farmers and support their wards' education in Public Secondary High Schools.

He said the awards come in two (2) categories and added that the New Entrants' Category involves qualified applicants who have gained admissions to Government-Assisted Second Cycle Schools whereas the Continuing Students' Category allows cocoa farmers' wards who are already in Government-Assisted Second Cycle Schools to apply.

Touching on the criteria for allocation, Mr. Mensa-Bonsu said Management has recently reviewed the selection process.

According to him, by the review which takes effect in the 2015/16 academic year, a certain percentage of the total awards is first shared equally among all societies in the cocoa districts and the remaining awards are given under two (2) main criteria, namely merit and catchment.

He further explained that the review was necessary to allow more wards of farmers at the society level to benefit from the scheme.

Mr. Mensa-Bonsu said, 20% of total scholarships allocated to each cocoa district is given on merit (thus based on only the academic performance of the students) whereas 80% of total scholarships allocated to each cocoa district is given on catchment (thus only students who attended Junior High Schools in the cocoa district).

Mr. Mensa-Bonsu stressed that no cocoa district is left out in the allocation of scholarships, explaining that the seven-member Selection Committee includes two Regional Chief Farmers. He said the selection process is transparent and that some applicants fail to access the awards because they do not meet the criteria for selection.

He expressed confidence in the Selection Committee and said every stage in the selection process is diligently carried out to ensure fairness. According to him, as a way of assuring farmers of transparency in the selection exercise to whip up farmers' confidence in the scheme, Management has decided that a complete list of beneficiaries would be sent to District Assemblies as well as District and Regional Chief Farmers of the cocoa areas for display.

He said his outfit is collaborating with the Public Affairs Department and other Divisions/Subsidiaries to effectively educate all stakeholders on the operations of the scheme.

Speaking on the distribution of the application forms, Mr. Mensa-Bonsu said the media is used to create awareness in all the regions on how applicants can access the forms and apply.

Mr. Mensa-Bonsu said follow up visits are made to the Senior High Schools to monitor the performance of beneficiaries adding that beneficiaries who fail to study hard or indulge in indiscipline acts would have their awards withdrawn.