Coronavirus: Selfish stakeholders lobbying for schools to reopen - Angel Carbonu

President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Mr. Angel Carbonu, has revealed that some interested stakeholders in the educational sector are lobbying for the reopening of schools despite COVID-19 pandemic.

Pre-tertiary Education Unions including the National Association of Graduate Teachers have warned against plans by the Ghana Education Service to reopen schools in the interest of some selfish stakeholders.

As part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus especially in schools, the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, directed that all schools be closed until further notice.

President for the National Association of Graduate Teachers, Mr. Angel Carbonu, who made this revelation on Atinka AM Drive with host Ekourba Gyasi said the association would not subscribe to the re-opening of the schools if President Akufo-Addo decides not to extend the 31st May 2020 deadline.

He noted that it is not safe for schools to reopen because the new coronavirus infection spread remains very exponential and still very much horizontal in the country.

Mr. Angel Carbonu recounted how a 9-year-old boy who contracted the coronavirus died in isolation while under quarantine.

“Look at the number of students each school carries. If one child gets infected then we have a disaster on our hands, and should that happen, are we going to collect these children and keep them at isolation centers pretending to be curing them? I have my doubts," he said.

According to Mr. Angel Carbonu, it would be appropriate for the students to stay home for more than a year and be safe, than forcefully reopening school and put the lives of our kids in serious danger.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director for Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), Enoch Gyatua, is calling on government to consider reopening schools in the President’s next Covid-19 address.