Kingsly Agyemang
Local scholarship interview has started across all the 260 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies for some 55, 000 applicants who applied for tertiary scholarships.
The Students are graduates of the West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) last year.
The exercise which is in fulfilment of the promise made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last year, directing the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat to open its portal to give the free SHS graduates an opportunity to apply for a local scholarships for the payment of tuition or academic facility user fee for students wishing to enter any accredited local tertiary institution, whether public or private.
Well prepared
Speaking to this paper, the Scholarships boss who is monitoring the interview exercise across some of the districts, said his outfit is well poised to ensure that any student who passed through the application process successfully is given the chance to also take part in the interview process and subsequently be awarded the scholarship if he or she is successful.
“With the digitization of the scholarships, we have ensured that everyone, no matter where they found themselves are able to apply for the scholarships. With the interviewing process too, we have digitised the system which allows the scores obtained by the students at the interview session to be sent to our office electronically on the spot,” Mr Agyemang said.
Mr Agyemang who visited the Afram Plains South and North Districts, in the Eastern region, as part of his tour of some of centres expressed satisfaction with the process. He said he was optimistic that most of the students will pass the interview in order to access tertiary education.
Students on campus
Addressing the issue of students who might have gone to their various schools and thus unable to take part in the interview process, Mr Agyemang said provision has been made for them to have their interviews done virtually .
“We anticipated these problems and have already made provision for such students. They will at all cost have their interviews. We are not leaving any child out. We want the vision of His Excellency the President to be realised. No child will be left behind,” he added.
Speaking to some of the students at the various interview centres, who were visibly happy to have been chosen to attend the interviews after a successful application, they said they will ensure that they make the President proud.
“We thank his Excellency the President for giving us this opportunity. My family and I are very grateful. I promise to make him proud. Thank you President Akufo-Addo,” Perfect, one of the students at Donkorkrom, in the Afram Plains North district said.