You’ll be protected – Gov’t to teachers as schools reopen
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured teachers and all staff in the various educational institutions that measures have been put in place to protect them from the coronavirus pandemic as schools reopen.
Addressing the nation on Sunday January 3, Mr Akufo-Addo stated that prior to 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.
He said schools and institutions, with their own hospitals and clinics, will be equipped with the necessary personal protective equipment, and have isolation centres to deal with any positive cases. All other school and institutions, without their own 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,” he said.
He added “So, from 15th January, our children in kindergarten, primary and Junior High, in both private and public schools, will be back in school. 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 that 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 favourable situation.
“However, the double track system will still be applicable to SHS 2 students in schools that are employing it. Students in universities and other tertiary institutions are to be in school from Saturday, 9th January.”
