Schools reopening: Asunafo North Assembly assures adequate measures to protect students

Coordinating Director for Asunafo North Municipal Assembly, Goaso, Mohammed Alhassan Yakubu, has indicated that all measures are in place for the safe reopening of schools beginning January 15, 2021, as directed by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

According to him, the assembly was in constant touch with all basic, senior high schools (SHSs) both private and government as well as the only tertiary institution in the region to prepare adequately before schools' reopens.

This, he said, was being done to ensure the safety of the students who are returning to school soon from contracting the malignant virus—new coronavirus disease COVID-19.

The ongoing nationwide exercise is in line with the President’s directive for all educational institutions in the country to be fumigated and disinfected before reopening.

The exercise, he explained, was to make sure all basic, SHSs and tertiary institutions in the Ahafo Region are safe for reopening.

Speaking to the media at Ahafoman Senior High School, Goaso, in the Asunafo Municipality, the Coordinating Director, Mr Yakubu indicated that parents should repose confidence in the assembly and government, adding that the exercise being conducted by waste management expert, Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL), in partnership with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR), is in the best interest of making Ghana healthier and safer against the spread of COVID-19.

“There are other protocols government is putting in place towards the fight against the pandemic, as well as ensuring the safety and wellbeing of students,” he added.

Furthermore, all teachers, staff and management members, he noted, would be involved to ensure all COVID-19 protocols are adhered to by students, teaching staff members and management of all educational institutions.

To ensure social distancing during learning hours, Mr Yakubu revealed that the assembly had put up thirty (30) classroom blocks in most of the SHSs in the municipality through the GETFUND while private schools, he noted, have assured the assembly of adequate classrooms to practise social distancing.

Touching on the availability of personal protection equipment (PPE) for students and pupils when schools reopen, he said whatever government would bring would be to complement what was in existence.

“In fact, all schools in the municipality have been provided with enough Veronica buckets, sanitisers and nose/face masks for distribution to their students,” he added.

For the reopening of Kindergarten, “We are going to sit down with the directorate of education to put in the necessary measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children in the Kindergarten Department,” he said.

Mr Yakubu also thanked Zoomlion for the numerous collaborative projects and said, the assembly will continue to work with them for the development and welfare of constituents in the municipality.

On his part, Ahafoman Senior High School Assistant Headmaster for Domestic, Frank Opoku Kusi, stated that the school was ready to welcome students back to school.

He intimated that the mass disinfection exercise was important to secure the environment of all educational institutions across the country.

He appealed to parents to trust and have faith in the system and measures put in place for school reopening.

1,300 students are expected to report at Ahafoman Senior High School on January 15, 2021.

Ahafoman Senior High School, Ahafoman Basic School, Goaso RC Junior High School, Goaso RC Primary A/B School, Methodist Primary & JHS, and Henry Huegene Memorial Schools, all in Goaso, Ahafo Region, were disinfected.