Private schools need stimulus, not just reopen – NPP, NDC reps agree

A member of the National Communications Team of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ama Berko, and Anthony Nukpenu, the Greeter Accra Regional Organizer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), have both indicated that private schools will need stimulus package from the government to sustain them as schools are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking on the Community Connect programme on 3FM, hosted by Johnnie Hughes, on Friday, September 4, Ama Berko said although private school teachers and their proprietors are saddled with the ravages of the coronavirus, reopening schools will not be the best thing to do at the moment.

She said she will prefer that the schools are given some form of monetary support just as the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) are being supported with the stimulus package.

This she believes will help them survive until the Covid-19 situation is totally brought under control.

“I am a victim of this whole circumstance. I own nursery school and my school is down. I am having problems paying my teachers. Yesterday, I had to provide food for all my staff members so in a way I agree with my colleagues who are on the neck of the government to reopen schools".

“But, I am also a bit worried because I deal with the youngest. So even if the schools are going to be reopened, I don’t see how we are going to deal with the under nine-year-olds. I need money, I need cash to survive but I am also worried that the children will come to school and they will go back home sick".

“So I think what we should be pushing for now is a stimulus package like how the NBSSI developed something for the SMEs. I agree that things are tough and a lot of the proprietors of the schools are in debts.”

On his part, Anthony Nukpenu said: “I own a school and it is being managed by my elder sister so I am in the same corner and for the past five months the teachers have been home and it is not easy for them".

“Aside that, proprietors and owners of schools are also running at a loss because some things were procured for academic work. Today they cannot be used".

“As we speak now, the kind of preparation we have to do before allowing schools to reopen, because the time has elapsed, monies have been spent on other things many schools.”