The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has shed light on its decision to end its long-standing scholarship scheme, unveiling a new educational initiative in its place.

This change comes in the wake of the government’s free senior high school education policy.

COCOBOD announced the termination of the scholarship scheme, which had supported the education of cocoa farmers' children, citing that the free SHS policy rendered the scheme unnecessary.

In a Thursday statement, COCOBOD introduced the Cocoa Board Education Trust, designed to bolster primary school infrastructure in underserved cocoa-growing regions.

However, COCOBOD clarified that some Ghanaians misinterpreted this move as a collapse of the scholarship programme.

The board emphasised that the shift is not an end to its educational support but a strategic redirection of resources to address more pressing educational needs.

The new trust aims to close the infrastructure gap between rural and urban schools by providing essential resources such as classrooms, libraries, teachers’ bungalows, and other facilities to create a conducive learning environment.

COCOBOD urged Ghanaians to support the transition, underscoring that the trust represents a diversification of their efforts to meet evolving educational demands in rural communities.