The AngloGold Ashanti-Obuasi Mine has said it is keen on contributing to the realization of significant improvement in local education, particularly within its host communities, after spending over GH₵ 1.5 million under its ‘Education Improvement Project.’

The project is also seen as a major boost to the country towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

AngloGold Ashanti in support of local Assemblies’ commitment to education development in Obuasi, through its 3-year Social Management Plan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Obuasi Municipal and Obuasi East District Directorates of Education.

This was to jointly implement a 3-year Basic Education Improvement Project with the aim of contributing to increasing the BECE pass rate from 86.6 per cent in 2018 to 90 per cent by 2021.

Under the MoU, AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, through collaboration with the Obuasi Municipal and Obuasi East Directorates of Education, over the period, has implemented a number of interventions to improve education access, teachers’ delivery and school supervision.

This includes the donation of over 1,200 pieces of furniture and various quantities of supplementary readers to Basic Schools in addition to 8 motorbikes to the education directorates in Obuasi.

Beyond that, the company has also organized training for teachers and circuit supervisors and have institutionalized an annual basic school competition in the education calendar.

The Senior Manager Sustainability, AngloGold Ashanti Ghana, Mr. Emmanuel Baidoo, recognized that quality education is key to societal advancement at all levels including personal, local and national development.

“Ghana has made significant strides in improving quality education and continues to formulate and implement policies that advance quality education. The current Education Strategic Plan of the country aims, among other things, at improving quality and ensuring sustainability,” he stated.

Against this background, he indicated that AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine will continue to support efforts to enhance education in the host communities.

Mr. Baidoo, who was speaking at the grand finale of the ‘Annual Basic Quiz Competition’ organized for schools in Obuasi, disclosed that AngloGold Ashanti invested GH₵ 200,000 in this year’s quiz competition.

The quiz competition, he said is strategically organized annually to address capacity-building in schools and to enlighten all stakeholders on the importance of education and appreciate the efforts of brilliant and hardworking students.

He also used the occasion to commend all the participating schools in this year’s quiz competition.

The Director of Education for Obuasi East District, Mr. Kwabena Nketia, also speaking during the finals of the quiz competition, acknowledged that the partnership AngloGold Ashanti has brought tremendous benefit to education in Obuasi.

He noted that education is a shared responsibility which implies that the Ghana Education Service (GES) cannot do it alone but must have the support of all stakeholders.

Mr. Nketia said the quiz competition among others is intended to encourage students to look beyond their contextual knowledge and establish the relationship between what goes on in the classroom and outside the classroom.

“This is meant to improve one’s knowledge of things learned either specific or general,” which he said improves memory and the thinking abilities of learners.”

In all forty-three junior high schools from both Obuasi Municipal and Obuasi East District participated in the quiz competition.

Complex Junior High School, from Obuasi Municipal, emerged winners of this year’s quiz competition, after beating Kwabenakwa M/A Junior High School, from Obuasi District, in the finals.

The ultimate winner was awarded a gold trophy and medals in addition to a cash prize of GH₵5,000.

This is after also receiving various quantities of desktop computers, tablets, backpacks, exercise books among other educational items for topping as winners at the district level of the competition.

The Obuasi annual basic quiz competition was organized and sponsored by AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine in collaboration with Obuasi Municipal and Obuasi East Directorates of Education.