GHANA’S Deputy Minister of Education in change of Tertiary Education, Okudzeto Ablakwah has revealed that the government spends over $ 2.7 billion (GHC 5.7 billion), representing 6.7 percent of the country’s GDP on education every year.
According to him:”With all the resources being channeled into education, we still have problems with the education sector. Government alone cannot do it, we need stakeholders support, since education is everybody’s business”.
Currently, Ghana has a student population of 5.4million. 45,000 are made up basic school pupils, Senior High Schools, 400,000 and tertiary institutions, 500,000.
He made this known at the launch of the United Bank for Africa’s (UBA”s) national essay competition for Senior High Schools in the country.
Mr Ablakwah commended UBA for the essay competition since social media was having negative effect on the youth, when it comes to writing and reading of the English language.
The Chief Executive of UBA Foundation, Ijeoma Aso said three lucky Senior High School (SHS) students would be given a chance to attend any university in Africa of their choice, if they emerge as winners of a national essay competition organized by United Bank of Africa.
Entry into the essay was opened September 24, 2014 to only SHS students with the topic “Is Social Media a Safe place to make friends”.
Interested SHS students are expected to submit entries in a handwritten essay of not less or above 750 words on the topic, she said.
Applicants are required to attach their birthday certificate or international passport data page, name of school and residential address, telephone numbers and e-mail.
Closing date for entries is October 31,2014. First selected 12 will be given laptop each.
Also there would examination to select the best three from the 12.
The student who will emerge as winner would be awarded with GHC17,700.00, first runner up GHC12,390.00 and second runner up 7,080.00.
Aso noted that the national essay competition was part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) to support education in the country.
She noted that UBA social responsibility was geared towards education because it is the pivot of every nation.
She specifically mentioned that the competition was targeting poor but bright students whose parent cannot support their university education.
The essay was also to encourage reading and writing among senior secondary students, she added.
Miss Ijeoma assured Ghanaians of free and fair selection of emerged winners as the panel of judges would be made up of professional bodies like West Africa Examination Council and Ghana Education Service.
To make the grounds more free and fair, employees of UBA children would be excluded from participating in the competition, she stressed.
She qualified the essay competition as educational grant initiative that come had in a good time to stay and would be expanded to other education sectors in future.
African Eye News
