Headteachers overwhelmed by attendance, confirm readiness for academic year

Some headteachers of Junior High and Senior High schools in Accra have said they are poised for the academic year, following the resumption of school.

While receiving the students in the above-mentioned categories, these headteachers who spoke to the GhanaWeb news team said they were taken aback by the number of students who showed up on the first day.

The news team which toured some schools on the first day of reopening, observed that the turn up for both students and teachers were massive.

The head teachers explained that the overwhelming numbers were as a result of the long stay of students in the house for about 8 months.

In an interview with the headmistress of Dzorwulu Junior High School, Gladys Neequaye, she said,

“Almost all the students and the teachers have reported today because the kids have stayed at home for long. For about 8 months, they’ve been at home. So, we have about 99.9% of our students reporting to school today which I am proud of as the headmistress of Dzorwulu JHS”.

The team also noticed that Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs); veronica buckets, hand sanitisers and reusable face masks have been supplied to schools to be distributed to the students.

“The school has been fumigated and then last Friday we went for our PPEs from the Municipal Education office so I have asked the storekeeper and some form masters to come for the face masks and give it to them. I think we are ready for them,” Headmaster of St Thomas Aquinas, Paul Amoasi Baidoo confirmed.

President Akufo-Addo, in his 16th address to the nation in August announced that second-year Junior High School and Senior High School students will be returning to school on October 5, 2020.

This followed relevant consultations with the Ghana Education Service and other key stakeholders.

“With Junior High Schools operating with class sizes of thirty (30), and Senior High Schools with class sizes of twenty-five (25), SHS 2 and JHS 2 students will be in school for ten (10) weeks to study, and write their end of term examinations,” the President said in an address to the nation.