Education Minister to present Scholarship Bill to Parliament

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, announced a new bill. President John Mahama has asked him to present the Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill. This will happen when Parliament reconvenes in May.

Iddrisu spoke during the inauguration of a 17-member Board of Trustees for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) in Accra. He said the bill aims to stop cronyism and nepotism in government scholarships.

He emphasized that scholarships should be based on merit. The goal is to help institutions build strong faculty members.

The Minister tasked the Board with securing funding for the Free Senior High School (SHS) initiative. He also stressed the importance of reliable food supplies for schools.

Iddrisu urged the Board to align GETFund allocations with President Mahama's education agenda. This agenda focuses on training students with modern skills and values.

He highlighted the need for more funding for basic education. "I suggest 35 percent go to basic education," he stated. He proposed 40 percent for higher education and 25 percent for free SHS, depending on financial support from the Ministry of Finance.

The Minister also directed the Board to tackle infrastructure issues in secondary schools. These challenges have arisen due to increased enrolment under the Free SHS program.

Iddrisu announced plans to fund at least five PhD scholarships at public universities locally. He called for completing over 300 unfinished GETFund projects to ensure value for money.

"We trust this Board will support higher learning institutions," he added. He urged them to make budget provisions for emergencies in education.

Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Chairman of the GETFund Board, expressed gratitude for their appointment. He pledged that they would fulfill their responsibilities effectively.

Board members include Prof Ahmed Jinapor from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission and Prof Ernest Davis from Ghana Education Service. Other members are Mr Masawudu Mahama from the Ministry of Finance and Rev Dr Cyril G.K. Fayose representing Religious Bodies.

Additional members include Mr Anthony Kwasi Sarpong from Ghana Revenue Authority and Mr Paul Adjei from GETFund. Others are Mrs Mamle Andrews from Ministry of Education and Mr John Awuah from Ghana Bankers Association.

The remaining members are Mr Seth Kobla Aklasi from Ghana Insurers Association and Ms Patience Abla Ganyo from National Pensions Regulatory Authority. Also included are Rev Prof John Frank Eshun from Technical Universities and Ms Philippa Larsen from Ghana National Association of Teachers.

Finally, Mr Daniel Nii Botchway represents National Union of Ghana Students, while Ms Grace Amey-Obeng is from Association of Ghana Industries. Madam Francisca Atuluk represents National Council on Women and Development, and Mr Alexander Frimpong is from Ghana Employers’ Association.