Independence Junior High School in the Obuasi East District was declared the winner of the AngloGold Ashanti-sponsored annual quiz competition held in Obuasi.
In an Obuasi East and Municipal encounter, Independence JHS amassed 67 points to clinch the diadem after beating off fierce competition from SDA JHS, who had 49 points.
In collaboration with the Ghana Education Service, the Obuasi annual quiz competition forms part of AngloGold Ashanti’s Educational Improvement Programme (EIP) which features prominently in their 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP).
The winners, Independence JHS were given a cash prize of GH¢5,000, exercise books, pens, pencils, a printer, and computers while the runner-ups, SDA school took home Computers, exercise books, pens, and mathematical sets among others.
Unlike previous editions, this year’s quiz competition focused on the environment and its related issues.
This, the Senior Manager for Sustainability at AngloGold Ashanti, Emmanuel Baidoo said, was strategically done to inculcate into the students the need for attitudinal change towards the environment.
Mr. Baidoo added that AngloGold Ashanti will collaborate with the Obuasi East and Municipal Assemblies to establish the basic schools as Environmental Cleanliness Model schools to improve the knowledge, attitude, and practices of environmental cleanliness.
He further expressed AngloGold Ashanti’s commitment to the “increasing pass rate of students in the Basic Education Certificate Examination in Obuasi” and therefore pledged “the construction of classrooms/school facilities in basic schools, distribution of literacy and numeracy teaching and learning materials and to facilitate the improvement in STEM education.”
On his part, the Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, George Alfred Koomson praised AngloGold Ashanti for the plethora of intervention programs it had rolled out to improve education in the municipality.
Nana Amonimaa Dede II Adansihemaa also lauded Anglogold Ashanti for instituting the quiz competition.
She said the performances exhibited by the contestants are indicative of the bright future that lies ahead of them.
