National Education Campaign Coalition commends government for reopening schools

The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) on Monday commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for adhering to the recommendations by stakeholders especially the Teacher Unions to allow the final year students to resume schooling.

The Coalition said: "We are also grateful to government that the gold track students who missed on their learning are going to complete that phase of their academic calendar".

President Akufo-Addo in his 10th COVID-19 National Address on Sunday directed that from Monday, June 15, 2020, final year students of Junior High School, Senior High School, and Universities are to resume classes ahead of the conduct of their respective exit examinations.

The GNECC in a statement signed by Mr Joseph Atsu Homadzi, the Interim Chairman, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra urged the Ministry of Education to put in place adequate measures to cater for the needs of every student in school including those with special educational needs.

"The Coalition still stands by its position to ensure that proper measures are put in place before the actual re-opening of schools.

“These measures should include the provision of contactless veronica buckets and handwashing stations created in every classroom, the availability of running water in the schools at all times, provision of thermometer guns in all schools and ensure toilet facilities in the schools are disinfected regularly when schools are in session".

The Coalition called on the Ministry of Education to collaborate with the Ministry of Health and assigned a nurse to each school to ensure consistent monitoring of cases.

The Coalition recommended to the Ministry of Education to continue with the E-learning programme for students who are still at home, calling on parents to ensure strict adhering to the COVID-19 safety protocols for the safety of children at home.

“Online teaching and learning programmes should be made available in the schools and e-learning content should be screened in the schools", it said.

The Coalition is of the view that schools should be made to maximize the use of available spaces such as school’s assembly halls and laboratories to enable effective adherence to the social distance safety protocols.

The statement said GNECC would continue to support the effort of the government to provide quality education for every child in these challenging times towards the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goal targets.