COVID-19: Private schools call on Akufo-Addo to reopen schools
- The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has indicated the need for government to reopen schools
- Executive Director of GNACOPS said he would be glad if the president opens schools and also puts measures in place to curtail the spread of COVID-19
- According to him, since students who were supposed to stay at home and read their books were roaming, it would be better for them to be in school
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The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has underscored the need for government to reopen schools.
The Executive Director of GNACOPS, Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah, said schools should be re-opened if the government believes it was safe regardless of the rise in COVID-19 cases in the country.
On March 15, 2020, President Akufo-Addo announced the suspension of all academic activities, as part of a broader ban on social gathering, to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Despite the refusal of pre-tertiary education teachers in public schools calling for the ban to remain, private schools and private school owners believe the time is ripe for students to return to the classroom.
READ ALSO: Online exams amid COVID-19: Public schools will do no such thing - Education Minister
Speaking on Citi Fm, Mr. Gyetuah said he would be glad if the president opens schools and also puts measures in place to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
According to him, since students who were supposed to stay at home and read their books were roaming, it would be better for them to be in school.
“I want the President to reopen schools and come up with some mechanisms and approaches that we can all adhere to because I still see students who have been asked to stay home still roaming on the street and engaging in a lot of social activities on the streets," he said.
READ ALSO: School should still be closed even after ban is lifted - Teacher Union to GES
In a related development, some Teacher Unions in Ghana have argued that it is important for schools to remain closed even if the ban on public gatherings is not extended by the President.
According to them, that would help reduce the spread and threat of the coronavirus disease.
In a letter addressed to the Director-General of Ghana Education Service, the unions said they “would not ascribe to the re-opening of the schools, should the President of the Republic decide not to extend the 31st May 2020 deadline and order the re-opening of the schools.
They argued that the size of classrooms and dormitories would make the observation of social distancing quite impossible.
READ ALSO: Universities, JHS, SHS to be closed down until further notice - Akufo-Addo (video)
President Akufo-Addo has extended the ban on social gatherings by two more weeks. | #Yencomgh(opens in new tab)
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Source: YEN.com.gh
