The discussions on the reopening of schools across the country have been met with skepticism because of the upsurge in Ghana’s case count, fear of further spread among especially our children and a host of other challenges.
GES and Ministry of Education should preferably consider the following suggestions:
1. Only WASSCE and BECE candidates should be allowed back to school probably from June 2020.
2. All other pupils and students should stay home till September while enough measures are put in place to welcome them.
3. It should be possible to get the candidates to follow the health and safety protocols including social and physical distancing because there will be adequate spaces in our schools for only final year students.
4. Wearing of facemasks should be compulsory for all students and staff at all times.
5. Washing of hands and hand sanitizing should be strictly enforced by school authorities in and outside the classroom.
6. For optimum safety of the candidates, thermometer guns could be sent to all schools across the country for regular test of temperature of candidates and other staff members in our schools.
7. Better still, all candidates should be tested before admission to schools to forestall any fears of spread of the pandemic.
8. All candidates who are tested and declared COVID-19 free should be admitted to the boarding house to minimize contact with the general public.
9. Class sizes should be reduced to 20 or 25 students per class for now.
10. All schools should have at least one medical staff attached for prompt response and attention to any eventuality.
Conclusion: Doing this would provide blueprints for receiving the larger population of pupils and students from September 2020.
(CLEMENT ADJEI SARFO, The CRUSADER, sarfo22@yahoo.com)
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