Schools remain closed to non-final year students – Akufo-Addo

Despite the reopening of schools for final year students ahead of the conduct of their respective exit examinations, schools remain closed to non-final year students, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, all other educational facilities, private and public, for non-final year students, will remain closed. The Minister for Education, in the coming days, will outline, in detail, the specific guidelines for the safe reopening of our schools and universities,” the president said during his 10th address to the nation on Sunday, May 31, 2020.

The President took the decision after an engagement with the various Teacher Unions at the Jubilee House.

Akufo-Addo indicated that “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.

He continued: “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.”

He added, “All final year students of educational and training institutions, which are being managed by Ministries other than the Education Ministry, are to return to school on 15th June to complete their exit examinations.”

Prior to the reopening of schools and universities, the Ministry of Education, and the heads of public and private educational institutions, will fumigate and disinfect the institutions.

“Each student, teacher, and non-teaching staff will be provided with re-usable face masks by the Ministry of Education,” the president stressed.