GRi Press Review 18 – 06 – 2003

Students granted $6m scholarship

Accra (Greater Accra) 18 June 2003 - Universities in the United States of America, granted a total of $6m scholarship to Ghanaian students last year. The US Government is also instituting measures to promote educational exchange programmes between Ghana and the US.

The US Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs Mary Carlin-Yates, announced this, when she paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, in Accra yesterday.

Mrs Carlin-Yates who was accompanied by the Director of Education & Human Resources Development of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Madam Lisa Franchett, said the beneficiary students are currently studying in various fields of endeavour in major universities in the US.

Present at the meeting were the Minister of State in charge of Basic, Secondary and Girl Child Education, Madam Christine Churcher, Minister of State for Tertiary Education, Ms Elizabeth Ohene and a Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Joe Donkor.

Mrs Carlin-Yates described the scholarships for private Ghanaian students as the biggest in Africa. She emphasised that it is the resolve of the US Government to, “strengthen Ghana’s democracy, expand the economy and improve the living conditions of Ghanaians through education and health.”

Baah-Wiredu said there is a need for all stakeholders in the educational sector and donor partners to network and find possible ways of revamping the educational system in the country.

He said plans are far advanced for the revamping of teacher training schools, vocational and technical institutions in the country. In a related development, the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs Kazuko Asai, paid a courtesy call on Baah-Wiredu in his office in Accra. – Graphic

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