Kumasi, Aug 11, GNA - The Kumasi Polytechnic has decided to offer 10 per cent of admissions in each of its academic departments to applicants from less endowed rural secondary schools.

The offer, which begins in the 2003/2004 academic year; and follows the path blazed by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), is to enable students from deprived rural secondary schools who are not able to compete with their urban counterparts for admission, to gain access to polytechnic education.

Dr Lord Asamoah, Principal of the Kumasi Polytechnic, who announced this in Kumasi, said 39 rural secondary schools had been selected as beneficiaries of the programme.

Dr Asamoah, who was speaking at the second congregation of the Polytechnic at the weekend, said the offer was part of the Polytechnic's social and statutory responsibility of providing service to the communities.

He said the Polytechnic was also offering 10 scholarships each year for five years in support of the Otumfuo Education Fund.

The value of the scholarship is estimated at 250 million cedis. Five scholarships per year have also been awarded to students from Adako-Jachie in the Ejisu-Juaben District to show appreciation to the chiefs and people in the town for releasing more than 12 hectares to the Polytechnic free of charge to be developed into a second campus. Dr Asamoah said the Polytechnic has also donated a cheque for 10 million cedis to the town to buy books for their school library. He commended the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11, for his laudable exploits at promoting quality education in the country and said the Polytechnic would also do its part to provide quality education. 11 Aug. 03