Coronavirus scare: The teachers' role

In our Senior High Schools, in this COVID season, what we all don't want to anticipate is a breakout of the virus in the schools - It will be disastrous.

Before students got in, Teachers were cautioned through heads not to talk to the media when a situation arises. Teachers have also been told not to offer any sort of help to students - for their own safety.

Food is not sold on campuses and students have to rely on what the dining halls offer. Some ‘caring’ Teachers are converted to errand boys and girls who buy fruits and ’good' food for them.

Parents won't visit and the obstinate do so at their own risk of returning home with their wards.

Things are quite difficult when one is a teacher and a parent in this time. The house masters/mistresses and Senior house masters/mistresses suffer the more.

Heads have to routinely go round to supervise what goes on in and around classrooms.

Students are asked to prep together (boys and girls) since the system wouldn't allow students to move from one class to the other. Class size has been reduced to give room to social distance.

For that matter, many teachers are engaged to help prepare students for the exam.

situation on the ground

Students carelessly go about their duties defying the safety protocols. Students are seen in broad day seated on themselves, holding hands and hugging. Students visit other's class and share all sorts of materials.

A student girl said, "it's outside here you see us observing the social distance. Come to our dorm and see." She ended with a cheerful grin.

Students will quickly put on their masks when they see the presence of a teacher. And they do as if the teacher's next salary depends on their ability to wear their masks.

KNUST SHS student demise, head interdicted

Everyone who has been to our Senior High schools will attest to the fact that, teachers are surrogates of parents in the schools. Teachers take the task and ensure that students are given the outmost care and protection they require. Even at midnights, teachers are jolted by shouts of other students to convey ill students to clinics or hospitals. Sometimes teachers use their own cars and money to solve problems of ailing students before the parents will be informed.

It happens in most cases where some parents refuse to settle bills their wards incur at hospitals.

These students, complete school, further, settle on a decent job and call their teachers stupid. The teacher wakes next morning, strong and motivated to the next class to continue his humanly duty.

So, I cannot say without evidence how careless, teachers of KNUST SHS were to see their student die before them as they stood aloof. None of the teachers without working conscience will see to that. It happens where after a car or parents promise they're on their way, fellow students hold ailing students as they wait. Sometimes, some students who would want to use the opportunity to go to town and buy food join the 'caring' team so when the car arrives, they all go. It doesn't fail.

This is the case], an unfortunate headmistress is indicted for what seem to be negligence on the part of her and the entire school administration.

This may also be the case, where the father of the demised boy instructed for medicine to be given to his son as he journeys to the school. The first thing school authorities do is to administer a first aid through the school clinic to any unwell student. And when it gets worse, the hospital is resorted and the parents take over.

This is also the case; school authorities and homes have strictly been warned not to take any medication in suspicion of what one sees to be COVID.

So, where was the negligence on the side of the school authority?

The answer I guess is permanently sealed in our conscience.

Students contract COVID

When the schools reopened, all well-meaning people knew it was going to spark fire since the numbers increases day by day. If our older parents and leaders who hold high offices and wield strong power to command the most effective sanitizer and Veronica buckets to protect themselves from COVID can contract the virus, what do we do to our young adults in basic and High schools who are given a reusable calico-nose masks and a diluted Adonko Sanitizer?

As a matter of humanity, why do we go on isolation in a mere suspicion that a friend has contracted the virus but allow the students who are in class busily frolicking themselves and absconding to town to remain in school? - Life must go on.

What do we do to them?

Why do we keep them with their teachers we consider insensitive to battle with the novel Corona virus?

We have seen factories that were shut overnight when persons in tested positive.

Why are the schools in session when masters and their students have contracted the virus?

As I pensively type, the students are in the classrooms pretending to be learning and holding themselves. Others are perambulating the streets on their campuses spreading droplets to others careless unmasked students.

I write to appeal to authorities concerned to consider the schools as parents and not politicians... And to find solutions to how students write exams in the future. I also would like to stress that, the political intimidation given heads and teachers who speak their mind on issues crippling the sector be given a human look. We need to give room for the people to operate appropriately.

If something has to be done, it has to be done RIGHT.

God Bless Ghana

Wisdom Bonuedi

Wisdom.bonuedi@yahoo.com