Abokobi (GAR), Oct. 30, GNA - The Abokobi Area Rural Bank has suspended its four-year-old educational scholarship scheme due to consistent poor performances by students at the Junior Secondary School level.

The scheme meant to sponsor students who excel in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at Senior Secondary School was suspended because since 2002 only three students have qualified.

Students of the JSS within the catchment area of Abokobi in the Ga East District have to attain aggregate six in order to qualify for sponsorship at the senior secondary stage.

The programme, which began with a qualification mark of aggregate eight, ran for two years before it was changed to six.

Mr. Henry Ani Obeng, Managing Director of the Bank, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday that a sub-committee had been set up to review the scheme in order to make it more workable.

He said money set aside for the scholarship scheme, as part of the Bank's social and corporate responsibility to the community, was therefore used for other purposes.

Mr. Obeng said parents and guardians must help their children and wards to make the grade to qualify for the scholarship. He explained that parents of beneficiary students must be customers and/or shareholders of the Bank. Besides, the Junior Secondary School of the beneficiary must be located in the catchment area of the bank. Mr Obeng appealed to parents and guardians to encourage their wards to fully patronize the scheme when the Bank's Board of Directors restored it. 30 Oct. 06