Coronavirus: Govt constitutes team of experts to enhance education

Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, Minister of Education, says government has constituted a team of experts to plot short and medium term plans for online education in the wake of the schools closure over COVID-19 concerns.

The schools closure took effect on Monday March 16, after President Akufo-Addo issued a directive in a broadcast address on COVID-19 update to prevent the spread of the disease.

The team comprised persons from the Ministry of Education, National Council for Tertiary Education, Ghana Education Service, and the Center for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling.

The rest include the Ghana Library Authority, and the Curriculum Assessment Agents who are to ensure that whatever they come up with every student or learner in the country can participate.

Dr Opoku Prempeh, speaking during a media briefing on the country's update on the disease, said the team had been tasked to conceptualize feasible solutions for the short, medium and long terms to ensure education continued through traditional, social media, online among others.

He said the Ministry had involved the Ministry of Information and Ministry of Communications in order to engage radio and TV stations as well as the telecommunication industry to assist them.

He stated that Ghana and the world were in difficult and dangerous times and everybody must chip in his or her best in the fight against the pandemic.

He said, "The virus needs human beings to move and until we stopped the travel we will keep transporting it.

"That is why we are still advising people that if it is not an essential travel please do not embark on the journey to stop the spread."

He empathized that the schools closure was a total shutdown in the country, affecting both private and public schools and thus, warned that “any head of institution who attempts to keep students after the announcement does so at his/her own risk.”

He said with cancellation of all examinations for final years at Junior High and Senior High schools, there was no need to keep students.

"If you care to know all international exams even in their parent countries have been cancelled so there is absolutely no reason for institutions to try and keep students," he added.

He said in order to enhance the fight, the Ministry has split its staff into two, to allow for social distancing and find other means of engaging partners, stakeholders, staff and employees.

Ghana has confirmed a total of 68 cases of COVID-19 with two deaths. The existing 66 cases are in isolation receiving and responding to treatment.