Poor reading culture in educational institutions, particularly at the primary level, has been a major concern for stakeholders in education in Ghana.
In Obuasi, AngloGold Ashanti has partnered with the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation and the Obuasi East and Obuasi Municipal Assemblies to launch a program to improve the reading abilities of pupils at the early grade level.
Following a workshop on differentiated learning for early grade teachers sponsored by AngloGold Ashanti, more than 1,000 pupils in kindergarten in both the Obuasi East and Obuasi Municipality have been given textbooks worth GH¢1.3 million cedis to boost their reading skills.
At a ceremony to hand over the books to the education directorates for distribution to schools, AngloGold Ashanti’s Social Development and Gender Superintendent Mavis Nana Yaa Kyei said the importance of education for national development cannot be overstated. She stressed that AngloGold Ashanti recognizes that a nation cannot develop without focusing on education, and has therefore committed to improving education in its operational areas.
She said the partnership with the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation and the Assemblies to distribute over 30,000 books is part of AngloGold Ashanti’s formal educational support, which is outlined in its 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan.
“We are focused on improving the quality of education in our communities. We want to achieve this by instilling in school children a culture of reading, especially at the basic level.”
Mrs. Kyei believes that focusing on the basic level is critical to promoting reading among school children. She said that once children are able to read at a foundational level, they will be better able to understand questions on examinations in the future.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi, Hon. Elijah Adansi-Bonah, praised AngloGold Ashanti for its efforts to promote quality education in Obuasi.
He said that the return of AngloGold Ashanti has seen the mining giant make significant contributions not only to infrastructural development, but also to improving the quality of education in Obuasi.
The Chief Executive for the Obuasi East District, who was also present, spoke about the importance of reading at the basic education level, stressing that it enhances the knowledge capacity of pupils.
She also commended the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation for its commitment to education in Ghana.
The Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, George Alfred Koomson, said that the Ghanaian language and literacy books are needed to complement the efforts of the directorate to improve the reading abilities of pupils in both the Obuasi East and Obuasi Municipality.
“During the workshop organized by AngloGold Ashanti for teachers, we requested that they provide the school children with reading materials to help with teaching and learning. We commend AngloGold Ashanti for its commitment to educational improvements in Obuasi.”