Calls for closure of schools too soon - Bright Appiah

Bright Appiah has said that it is too late to be having a conversation on the closing down of schools although it is evident that some schools across the country are recording cases of Coronavirus.

The Executive Director of Child Rights International said that it is not practical to shut down the schools again even as cases are recorded in schools, adding his voice to those of some teacher unions who earlier made the same arguments.

His reason is that until data supports the threats of the recorded cases in schools on the extent of risk, it will not be necessary to be having such a conversation.

“We think we have not gotten to that level of risk to say that we should withdraw children from schools based on the indicators,” he said in a Citi News interview.

He continued that, “What we need to worry about is whether children are the potential transmitters of coronavirus among the vulnerable groups. We need to satisfy some of these things to be able to come to a reasonable conclusion.”

On January 18, 2021, schools reopened after several months of being closed down due to the ravages that coronavirus was causing to the country but that has not stopped many from pushing for the schools to go back into lockdown because of the fears that the schools could just become avenues for the further spread of the virus.

Furthermore, with some public schools especially not receiving the promised Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from government on time, and worries that children will not properly adhere to the protocols, the calls have been unceasing.

Among the schools to have already recorded cases of the virus are the Akosombo International School where more than 70 people (students and staff) tested positive.

But, the National Association of Graduate Teachers, and the Ghana National Association of Teachers, have said that the new trend in schools does not give cause for closure of schools as it will only be a hasty decision.

According to Thomas Musah, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, such a decision will be too soon a call to make as school only resumed academic work after so long, in January.

He described the recorded cases so far from the schools as isolated ones that should not affect the entire schooling fraternity.

“For one of the schools where we have recorded such high cases, the best way to go is to isolate that particular school,” Mr. Musah argued.