NADeF invests GH¢140,362 in BECE mock exams to boost basic education outcomes
Efforts to strengthen foundational education and improve examination outcomes in the Ahafo Region have received a boost as the Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF) commits fresh funding to support Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates.
The Foundation has released GH¢140,362 to facilitate the organisation of mock examinations for 2,081 candidates across 71 junior high schools in the Asutifi North District and Tano North Municipality. The intervention is expected to enhance students’ preparedness, improve academic performance and provide education authorities with a reliable assessment tool ahead of the final examinations.
Out of the beneficiary schools, 46 are located in Asutifi North, while the remaining are in the Tano North Municipality.
The mock examinations form part of NADeF’s broader Quality Improvement in Basic Schools (QUIBS) Programme, a four-year initiative being implemented in 94 basic schools—comprising kindergarten, primary and junior high schools—at a total cost of GH¢16,931,201.
The programme reflects NADeF’s strategic focus on human capital development as a driver of sustainable socio-economic transformation in its operational areas in the Ahafo Region.
Speaking to the media after monitoring the ongoing mock examinations, the Executive Secretary of NADeF, Elizabeth Opoku-Darko, said the QUIBS programme was designed to improve teaching and learning outcomes, strengthen school management and supervision, and create an enabling environment for quality basic education delivery by 2030.
She noted that the initiative also aims to deepen community participation in education and establish a robust monitoring, evaluation and learning framework to ensure measurable impact.
Key interventions under the programme include educational enhancement clinics for BECE candidates, in-service training and refresher programmes for teachers and school managers, provision of textbooks, and the supply of teaching and learning materials.
Other components involve the provision and maintenance of motorbikes for School Improvement Support Officers (SISOs), management grants for District and Municipal Ghana Education Service (GES) offices, vacation classes facilitated by NADeF scholarship beneficiaries, and guidance and counselling services in schools.
In addition, the programme supports reading festivals, academic competitions, annual stakeholder forums, school performance review meetings, Best School and Teacher Awards, and continuous monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
Mrs Opoku-Darko underscored the commitment of NADeF to investing in education as a cornerstone of community development. She said strengthening basic education would not only improve learning outcomes but also build the human capital base required for long-term development in the Ahafo area.
“The Foundation believes that investing in quality basic education is critical to unlocking the socio-economic potential of communities within our catchment area,” she stated.
The Tano North Municipal Director of Education, Stephen Tiah Adams, commended NADeF for the intervention, noting that the mock examinations have become an important tool in preparing candidates ahead of the BECE scheduled for May 11, 2026.
According to him, the exercise has contributed to improvements in academic performance in recent years and has enabled education authorities to better assess students’ readiness for their final examinations.
He observed that although BECE performance in the municipality had previously been average, it had improved significantly following NADeF’s sustained support, with some students earning recognition through national honours such as the Independence Day State Awards.
NADeF, established as part of Newmont Ghana’s corporate social responsibility framework, continues to play a critical role in supporting education, health and livelihood programmes in the Ahafo Region, with education remaining a key pillar of its community investment strategy.
