Coronavirus: How some schools in Accra are preparing ahead of reopening

Schools in Ghana are gearing up to resume from January 15, 2021 after a 9-month long halt following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last year in March announced for the closure of all schools across the country in a bid to contain the spread of the outbreak. But the President in his 21st address to the the nation in January 2021 directed for all schools to resume.

Prior to the move, some section of final year students in tertiary, senior high, basic and primary schools were allowed to resume in order to undertake their examinations under strict COVID-19 safety protocols.

Ahead of the reopening of schools across the country later this week, government in collaboration with school authorities have began putting in place measures that will allow for a safe and secure environment for the students’ return.

When GhanaWeb took a tour of some schools in Dzorwulu, Labone, and Kanda on Monday January 11, 2021, the news team noticed that some schools had been disinfected and painted while were others still closed.

In an interaction with GhanaWeb, Isaac Atta Nyarko, Assistant Headmaster-Adminstration at the Labone Senior High School in Accra recounted the pandemic’s impact on the educational system.

“Generally, COVID-19 has taught us a lot of lessons. Formally everything was being run directly but this time around, we’ve had to revise and move towards a digital approach of learning and teaching. The students have left for almost a year now and as they are preparing to return, we know it’s not going to be easy revising with them due to the long gap in the teaching and learning process.”

He added the Ghana Education Service has indicated of its readiness to put in place policies that ensure the learning gap is adequately filled among the returning students.

Mr Atta Nyarko assured parents that his school was safe and secure for a return of their wards in accordance with adhering to all COVID-19 safety protocols.

“As we speak now, we are working to fumigate all the dormitories, dining, and assembly halls which will start today [January 11, 2021] so we can welcome back our students in a much safer and secure environment,” he disclosed.

“For example in our dining hall, we used to have 10 students on each table but now we’ve reduced that number to six per table, their washrooms have also been expanded and we’re enforcing strict social distancing in the dormitories,” he added.