By Muyid Deen Suleman
Obuasi (Ash), June 28, GNA – AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine has inaugurated and handed over an examination printing centre for basic schools in the Obuasi East District at Wawase.
The centre, constructed at the cost of Ghc 2,249,281, will help in the printing of examination papers, especially BECE mock examination papers, for final year junior high school pupils in the area.
It is part of AngloGold’s efforts towards contributing to the improvement of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) pass rates in the host communities, which is part of the company’s 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP).
The aim is to enhance quality education, promote sustainability, and foster socio-economic development, while easing the pressure on the surrounding schools during printing of examination papers.
The facility is made up of a Printing and Production Room, Printing machinery, offices, storage rooms and others.
The project became a reality after series of engagements with stakeholders on how to sustain the periodic mock examinations geared towards preparing BECE candidates for their main examination.
Mr Edmond Oduro Adjei, Senior Manager, Sustainability and Community Relations at AngloGold, speaking at the ceremony, stressed that the company would continuously strive to uphold the purpose of mining to empower people and advance various societies at Obuasi.
According to him, the commissioning of the Exam Printing Center was just one of the several initiatives aimed at ensuring improvement in quality education delivery in the area.
He explained that, in anticipation of seeking a permanent solution to aid pupils prepare, AGA believed that the printing center would be the most practical solution to support pupils, especially the final year one.
Mr Adjei noted that the printers installed could sort, arrange, print, and staple up to 100 pages per minute.
He was of the firm conviction that the printing center would ensure that examination papers were produced accurately and efficiently, thereby reducing the chances of errors or discrepancies in the papers.
It will again help maintain the integrity of the examination process and ensure a fair assessment for all pupils, adding that, the examination printing center would contribute to well organized and reliable examination system, which could benefit both the school examiners and pupils.
He noted that, since the launch of the SEDP, AngloGold Ashanti has trained and equipped over 500 teachers with leadership skills and innovative ways to effectively deliver lessons in classrooms.
In addition, he said, AngloGold distributed over 100,000 copies of learning materials to basic schools to support teaching and learning.
Mr Kwabena Owusu Nketia, Obuasi East District Director of Education, urged all stakeholders to continue to rally behind AngloGold Ashanti to enable it to continue to support educational development in Obuasi.
Mrs Faustian Ammisah, District Chief Executive for Obuasi East, commended AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, for the continued commitment to improving quality education in the area.
She called on the people to continue to support the government, initiating policies and programmes that would help improve the living standards of the people.
GNA