Anglogold Ashanti hands over fully furnished exams printing center in Obuasi East to GES

AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has once again demonstrated its commitment to maintaining the high standards set by Obuasi in basic education.

On Thursday, June 27, 2024, the mining company handed over a fully furnished examination center to the Ghana Education Service in the Obuasi East District. The center will facilitate the printing of examination question papers, including mock exams for final-year students preparing for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

The project, estimated at a cost of approximately GHS 2,249,281.00 (Two million, two hundred and forty-nine thousand, two hundred and eighty-one Ghana Cedis), underscores AngloGold Ashanti's dedication to improving the quality of education in Obuasi.

At the unveiling ceremony, Edmond Oduro Agyei, the Community Relations Manager of AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, emphasized that the examination center represents the company's unwavering commitment to ensuring the success of youth in Obuasi and improving the quality of education.

Obuasi has an enviable record in the BECE, with students consistently achieving excellent results. To maintain this standard, stakeholders have been organizing mock examinations to prepare students.

While the Obuasi East District Assembly was the sole financier of the mock exams, AngloGold Ashanti, through their community investment strategy, joined in to sponsor the printing of mock exam papers, supporting Obuasi basic school students' preparation for the BECE.

According to Agyei, the previous model was unsustainable, prompting AngloGold Ashanti to collaborate with the Obuasi East District Assembly and the GES to establish a printing center to address the challenges encountered. He noted that the printers installed at the center can print, sort, arrange, and staple up to 100 pages per minute.

"We expect that when the center begins operations, it will ensure that examination papers are produced accurately and efficiently, reducing the chances of errors or discrepancies," he said.

Faustina Amissah, the Chief Executive of the Obuasi East District, praised AngloGold Ashanti for the initiative, noting that it comes at an opportune time to alleviate the financial burden of printing mock exams on the Assembly. She expressed optimism that the exam center, along with other interventions by the Assembly and AngloGold Ashanti, would help maintain the district's excellent track record in the BECE.

Meanwhile, the Obuasi East District Director of Education, Kwabena Owusu Nketia, stated that the center would not only improve the quality of BECE results and education in general but also create employment opportunities for those who will work there.

The project will be managed jointly by the Obuasi East District Assembly and the education directorate. Mr. Nketia assured that adequate measures have been put in place to ensure the facility achieves its intended purpose.