The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Foundation has launched its Second National Essay Competition for Senior High School students as part of its Corporate Social Responsibilities.

This according to the bank is to whip-up the interest of SHS students in the English language considering its importance not only in their academic life, but also their growth and development.

Speaking with Joy Business at the launch, Managing Director of the bank Abiola Bawuah said the competition is already yielding great results.

She expressed delight saying, all three awardees of the maiden competition have gained admission into the university.

“This year we are going a step further by getting every school in Ghana to participate. Apart from coming for this, we intend to follow up on them.”

Madam Bawuah emphasized that the foundation is doing a lot of monitoring to ensure the winners especially, gain admissions and also check how they are faring in their academic endeavours.

She added that the foundation is also ensuring that all the students under its ambit are comfortable in school.

She cited an incident where one awardee had some problems with admission and said “we followed up and we are glad to announce that she has now been given admission at KNUST to read medicine.”

Madam Bawuah hinted there are some other schemes that the foundation would be introducing sometime next month in the universities where there will be scholarship and grants and perhaps endowment cheques made available to ensure they also participate in the competition all in a bid to heighten enthusiasm in the English language.

“It is actually a full educational programme that we are running”, she added.

Deputy Minister for Education Sam Okudjeto Ablakwa in launching the competition highlighted government’s disappointment in the past WASSCE examination where over 19 percent of the candidates failed in the English subject.

This he said is sad considering the fact that every student in the country “needs a pass mark in the subject in order to transition to the next level.”

He however, expressed excitement about the contest and pledged its utmost support.

He encouraged other institutions in the country to emulate UBA’s initiative in contributing to the enhancement of education in the country.

The minister also urged students to participate in the competition saying “once you can read, it will form the basis for you to achieve your career objective.” To enter, one only has to be a student enrolled in a SHS “What matter most to you in life, and why?”

The price package for this year she said is 20,000 Cedis for the winner and a trophy, the 14,000 Cedis for the 1st Runner-up and a plaque, whiles the 2nd Runner-up gets 8,000 Cedis and a plaque. All the 12 finalists however, will get a laptop computer.