The Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF) has committed GH¢140,362 to fund mock examinations for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates across 71 junior high schools in the Ahafo Region, as part of a broader effort to lift learning outcomes in underserved mining communities ahead of the May 2026 national examinations.
The funding will reach 2,081 candidates spread across the Asutifi North District and the Tano North Municipality, with 46 of the beneficiary schools located in Asutifi North and the remainder in Tano North.
The mock examination support forms part of NADeF’s Quality Improvement in Basic Schools (QUIBS) Programme, a four-year education investment valued at GH¢16.93 million covering 94 institutions from kindergarten through to junior high school level.
NADeF Executive Secretary Elizabeth Opoku-Darko said the programme targets improvements in teaching standards, school management and supervision, with a delivery horizon of 2030. Alongside mock examinations, the programme includes teacher training, textbooks and learning materials, vacation classes run by NADeF scholarship holders, guidance and counselling, and grants to Ghana Education Service (GES) district offices.
Tano North Municipal Director of Education Stephen Tiah Adams described mock examinations as a critical preparatory tool for candidates and confirmed that student performance in the municipality has improved in recent years, with some pupils earning national recognition through selection for the Independence Day State Awards. He cautioned, however, that a persistent shortage of teachers in rural communities continues to weigh on education delivery.
NADeF, established under Newmont Ghana’s corporate social responsibility framework, has positioned education as a central pillar of its community development strategy across the Ahafo Region, with interventions spanning infrastructure, teacher support, and student-centred programmes.
