Barely one year Government of Ghana orders for the closure of all Schools over the Pandemic COVID -19, Students are expected in School from 9th January 2021.
According to President Nana Akufo-Addo, from 15th January, children in kindergarten, primary, and Junior High, in both private and public schools, will be back in school.
Nana Akufo-Addo said this in his 21st COVID address.
He said” All SHS 1 students will start classes from 10th March, with all students embarking on a single-track academic calendar. Their seniors in SHS 2 and SHS 3 will, however, return to school from 18th January. I must stress those SHS 3 students in all schools, like SHS 1 students, will no longer run the double-track system. The expansion of infrastructure at the various senior high schools, over the last three (3) years, has brought us to this favorable situation. However, the double-track system will still apply to SHS 2 students in schools that are employing it.”
He said Students in universities and other tertiary institutions are to be in school from Saturday, 9th January.
Nana Akufo-Addo said before their return to school, Government, through the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service, will ensure that all institutions, public and private, are fumigated and disinfected. Schools and institutions, with their hospitals and clinics, will be equipped with the necessary personal protective equipment, and have isolation centers to deal with any positive cases.
“All other schools and institutions, without their clinics and hospitals, have been mapped to health facilities. There will be, for now, no mass gatherings and no sporting activities. However, religious activities for students at school, under the new protocols, will be permitted. Social distancing and the wearing of face masks must become the norm in our schools. The requisite provisions have been made to ensure that students at all levels of the education ladder receive the minimum number of contact hours upon their return to school.”
“To facilitate the safety of students, Government, through the Ministry of Education, will provide face masks, ‘Veronica’ buckets, hand sanitizers, liquid soap, rolls of tissue paper, and thermometer guns for the safe re-opening of the schools. The Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Education Service will from Monday, 4th January, commence a series of sensitization campaigns to help prepare, inform and educate guardians, students, and the public on further modalities associated with the re-openings.”
“I want to use this address to assure all parents and guardians that the Government is determined to protect the lives of all students, teachers, and non-teaching staff, who will be returning to school. It bears repeating that every one of them must adhere strictly to the protocols to protect themselves and others.”
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Kofi Atakora
