Scholarship schemes instituted at Kukurantumi

Junior Secondary School graduates from Kukurantumi, who scores aggregate six at the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE), would receive a scholarship package of five million cedis from the Kukurantumi Educational Development Fund. Similarly, pupils who obtain aggregates seven to nine will get three million cedis, 10 to 11, one million cedis and 12 to 15 will receive five hundred thousand cedis.

A financial consultant and coordinator of the fund, Mr G. O. Kesse, disclosed this at a Best Teacher and Pupils awards' day at Kukurantumi in the East Akyem District of the Eastern Region on Friday. At the function, more than 25 million cedis cash prizes and educational materials were given to 52 needy, brilliant and well behaved pupils, as well as six distinguished teachers.

The Best Teacher and Pupil award ceremony instituted three years ago forms part of an integrated project being embarked upon by the Fund to help reverse the falling standard of education in the town, which is home to two famous schools, the Ofori Panin Secondary School and the Saint Paul's Technical Institute.

Mr Kesse deplored the attitude of most parents towards education in the area, stressing the relevance for parents to become interested in the training needs of their wards.

He said it was incumbent on parents to properly regulate their children so they do not fall prey to social vices such as watching films at video centres at the time they should be studying. Mr Kesse deplored the non-cooperative attitude by some teachers in the town and urged them to change for the better for the progress of the town.

The Chairman of the Fund, Professor Amoah Oduro, also deplored the incident of delinquency among children and stressed the need for a concerted effort to reverse the trend.

The District Director of Education, Miss Ernestina Ofori, in a speech read for her commended the trustees of the fund for their foresight, noting that, if all communities showed similar commitment to educational development, much could be achieved in the drive to ensure quality education.

The Adontehene of Akyem Abuakwa and Chief of Kukurantumi, Osabarima Kena Ampaw, who chaired the function, reiterated the need for parents to show total commitment towards the educational needs of their children.

Madam Gladys Awuku Mensah and Mr Mark Offei Addo both of the Korkor Dua basic schools emerged the best primary and JSS teacher respectively and took home cash prizes and electronic gadgets. Four other teachers were also honoured for their meritorious services, while three categories of students were honoured, brilliant students, needy students and well-behaved students. They also took home different prizes, including cash, school uniforms, school bags, exercise books and dictionaries.