The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), has lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for reopening of schools and phasing out the double-track system for Senior High School One and Three.
In a statement issued by the coalition, it commended the government for being responsive to the concerns expressed by parents and students about the effects of the double-track and also urged that it is completely phased out.
The coalition’s statement comes on the back of the President announcing the reopening of schools and phasing out of the double track system in his 21st address to the nation on measures taken against the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The coalition further urged that, additional care be taken to ensure that children, teachers and non-teaching staff were not exposed to any avoidable risks while in school, based on lessons learned from the selective reopening of schools for the completion of transitional examinations last year.
It said, government must provide appropriate Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities for schools that lacked them to ensure effective compliance with the recommended COVID-19 protocols, adding that personal protective equipment should also get to all schools on time.
The Coalition advised parents and guardians to also ensure that their wards returned to school when they reopened to continue their education and should not leave the safety of their children entirely to government.
“Education is a shared responsibility and parents have an important role to play in protecting their children from any potential harm both at home and in school.
“They should therefore ensure that their wards wear masks and urge them to comply with the guidelines provided for their safety while in school.”
The statement said it would be working together with the Ghana Education Service, UNESCO and UNICEF Ghana to undertake a ‘BacktoSchool’ campaign to ensure that no child was left behind.
Meanwhile, the Ghana National Association Teachers (GNAT) in Accra, has described the reopening of schools as laudable and urged parents to prepare their children to go back to school.
Mr Nicholas Taylor, a GNAT official said the re-opening is in order because schools cannot be closed perpetually.
He, however, called on government to provide the requisite necessities to make the staying in school safer for the students.
Mr Taylor in an interview noted that, parents did not have much time to prepare adding that, the announcement should have come earlier to allow for time for parents to psych their wards up for the reopening.
“Again, now that basic school are reopening at full capacity, I don’t know how prepared the government is as far as distribution of PPEs to Schools is concerned.”
The GNAT official called on school authorities to ensure social distancing arrangements and constant supply of water.
“We, as teachers, are prepared and willing to go back to school to continue our work. All we demand of the government is to really put in place the needed measure to avoid putting the lives of Students and Teachers in danger.”
President Akufo-Addo announced that all Basic Schools (KG-JHS) would reopen on 15th January, 2021, and Senior High Schools, on March 10, 2021.
He also said, SHS Two and Three would reopen on 18th January, 2021, whiles all tertiary institutions reopen on 9th January, 2021.
