Coronavirus: We’re ready to go back to classrooms – GNAT

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) says its members are ready to back to classrooms if the necessary logistics are made available for protection against COVID-19.

It comes after President Akufdo-Addo announced in his address Sunday night that final year students are to resume school while observing social distancing and other safety protocols.

Schools of all levels have remained shut since COVID-19 cases started rising in Ghana.

“From Monday, 15th June 2020, the decision has been taken, after engagement with the Teacher Unions, whose co-operation I salute, to reopen schools and universities to allow for final-year junior high, senior high and university students to resume classes ahead of the conduct of their respective exit examinations.

“Indeed, final year university students are to report to their universities on 15th June; final year senior high school (SHS 3) students, together with SHS 2 Gold Track students, on 22nd June; and final-year junior high school (JHS 3) students on 29th June. JHS 3 classes will comprise a maximum of thirty (30) students; SHS classes a maximum of twenty-five (25) students, and University lectures will take place with half the class sizes,” the President said in his 10th address since the coronavirus pandemic.

Reacting to the development, the President of GNAT Philipa Larson told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr that teacher association had already agreed on the roadmap to resumption with the presidency.

“We are ready for any day. We had already presented a 19-point proposal to him on how to return we have been ready. Teachers are not happy sitting at home but because of the restrictions, we had to stay home. We are going to comply with the President’s because we have been ready and it’s easy for us to do.

“We have requested for the temperature gun so we can check the temperature of both staff and students. We made the suggestion that the class size should 20 but it looks like the President said 25. Once the nose mask, sanitizers and the rest are provided we are ready to go back,” she said Monday.