Education Minister to Consult Citizens’ Coalition over Scholarship Bill

The Director-General of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), Kofi Asare, has revealed a planned engagement with the Citizens’ Coalition after concerns about the Ghana Scholarships Authority Bill.

The Minister for Education, Harunan Iddrisu, will consult the CSO for their contribution in shaping the bill before it is laid before Parliament.

In a Facebook post, he said, “Minister for Education just engaged the Citizens’ Coalition. He is happy to lead consultations with CSOs on Tuesday to enrich the Scholarship Bill before the Bill is finally considered & passed.”

It comes after the group kicked against the government’s move to pass the bill under a certificate of urgency without any stakeholder engagement.

In a press statement, the Coalition acknowledged the need for reform but said the Bill in its current form didn’t adequately address the structural weaknesses of the existing scholarship regime.

“Rather than remedying the prevailing opacity, nepotism and political interference, it risks institutionalising them. We are convinced that the proposed legislation falls short of establishing a transparent, accountable and merit-based system consistent with global best practice in public scholarships management.”

It therefore called for genuine reform with broad stakeholder engagement, including students and youth groups, tertiary institutions, civil society organisations and development partners.

“These consultations are essential in designing a legal framework that consolidates the fragmented scholarship landscape into a coherent and credible authority that serves the national interest.”

Source: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/