The Mponua Rural Bank at Amoana Praso in the Birim North District is spending over 20 million cedis as scholarships to five shareholders' children to enable them complete their secondary education.

The bank instituted the scholarship scheme to supplement the governments' educational programme to eradicate poverty.

The Acting Chairman of the Board of Directors of the bank, Mr Daniel Kwame Ansong announced this when he presented this year's scholarships to three shareholders' children who obtained aggregate six to 15 in last years' Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at Obogu in the Ashanti-Akim South District.

The beneficiary students were Master Alex Asiedu and Master Prince Asiedu who are pursuing their secondary education at the St Peters' Secondary School at Nkwatia, Kwahu and Master Kwame Kwakye Ampadu who is now at the Konongo Odumase Secondary School.

He said under the scheme, 400,000 cedis a term would be given to a shareholder's child who obtained between aggregate six and 15 in the BECE within the bank's catchment areas to cover their school fees.

The Board Chairman said two shareholders' children who won the scholarship last year were now furthering their education in other secondary schools.

He advised the shareholders to take active interest in the education of their children to enable them to become responsible citizens and also to alleviate poverty since the high rate of poverty in the country was due to the low standard of education among the population.

The District Director of Education, Ms Theresa Owusu Nyarko urged the District Assembly, Chiefs and School Management Committees (SMC) to enact bylaws to protect children from engaging in immoral activities to enable them to study at home to pass their examinations and to become responsible adult and contribute to the nation's development.

She advised parents to send their children to school since education was the only legacy to be bequeathed to their children and also urged the children to study hard to make effective use of their parents' investment.

The Deputy District Co-ordinating Director, Mr Amoako Kwarteng said the assembly in collaboration with the lntegrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) have granted scholarships to 646 basic school girls and 90 secondary school students in the district while 67 tertiary students and 28 teacher trainees at the various Universities and training colleges were also being assisted to enable them to complete their education.

He expressed concern about the low standard of education in the district and commended the bank and other NGOs for their effort to improve the standard of education in the area.

The Omanhene of Obogu, Nana Owusu Asiamah, II, advised parents to send their children to school since it was their responsibilities to educate them.