The United Bank for Africa (UBA) says it is committed to supporting education in the country, using interventions such as the National Essay Competition.
“We believe in investing in people; that we have to invest in the youth today for they are the leaders of tomorrow,” the Managing Director and Chief Executive of UBA Ghana, Mrs Abiola Bawuah, said at the launch in Accra of the second UBA National Essay Competition for Senior High Schools.
“We realised that English Language was a challenge to most students, not only in Ghana, but across Africa. So as a bank we decided to invest in raising the standards by letting the youth invest some time in essay writing and improving their communication skills,” she explained.
Winners of the first essay last year have all gained admission into the university and the bank used the occasion to present cheques for their bursaries to them.
This year, she said, the bank intended to take it further by ensuring that every school participated in the competition.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Mr Samuel Okudjeto-Ablakwa, said analysis of the recent WASSCE indicated that the failure rate (those who obtained F9) for English Language was 19.2 per cent, which sent worrying signals which must be remedied.
The deputy minister said the ministry had already instituted concrete measures to reverse the situation in the next sitting, and therefore commended UBA for the initiative, which he said the ministry would fully support.
He, however, stressed that education was a shared responsibility and there was the need for all in the community, including parents and the corporate sector to support in diverse ways to make it successful.
Students are expected to write on a given topic in their own free time and submit the essays for marking. Out of this, 12 finalists will be short-listed and given another topic to write on under supervision at the UBA Head Office in Accra.
It is out of the 12 that three winners will be picked. The ultimate winner will win educational bursary equivalent to GH¢20,000 to cover tuition and accommodation at any accredited tertiary institution in Ghana. — GB