Here’s how school authorities are combating the coronavirus as schools resume

Following President Akufo-Addo’s announcement on the reopening of basic schools, school authorities have put measures in place to help in the fight against the deadly coronavirus.

GhanaWeb’s news team observed that veronica buckets were positioned at vantage points on various school compounds to ensure the frequent washing of hands with soap under running water.

Also, most students were in their face masks as they queued to wash their hands before entering the classroom.

While touring some schools in La Bawaleshie, Madina, and Adenta the news team saw that in almost all the governmental schools, there was zero social distancing in classrooms.

Several attempts to get their headteachers to speak on the issue proved futile but the headteacher of La Bawaleshie Presby ‘2’ basic school in an interview with GhanaWeb, Charlemagne Osae Aryee said his outfit will intensify education on the coronavirus in school so students are psyched up.

He also noted that the school will only work with about 60 students in a classroom by way of respecting the safety protocols laid down by the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Education Service.

He also pointed out that the government has promised to provide them with Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) and are looking forward to having them before the close of day.

Mr Aryee told GhanaWeb's Ernestina Serwaa Asante that, “We as a public school and an institution with the state, we are complying with the directives of the state with regards to the protocols so handwashing under running water with soap, encouraging the children to wear their face mask and then we will also continue to educate them on the impact of the pandemic. We are asked not to have a class more than 60 children. So where we have more than 60, we’ll consider the shift system but until such a time, we are not going to run a shift system."

Visiting the Citadel Valley School in Adenta, all the safety protocols were also adhered to and the principal-in-charge of academics, Ewoenam Deh explained that the strict measures put in place were to guarantee parents, pupils, and teachers of their safety.

She also noted that students have their names inscribed on the nose masks to avoid mix up and sharing of the masks.