Accra, Ghana//-The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) today welcomed the announcement by President-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the reopening of schools and the phasing out of the double-track for SHS 1&3 students.
On Sunday 3, January 2021, Mr Akufo-Addo updated Ghanaians on the country’s Enhanced Response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Commenting on the reopening of schools and phasing out of dreadful double-track system in Mr Akufo-Addo’s address, the National Coordinator for GNECC, Madam Veronica Dzeagu, said: “We commend the government for being responsive to the concerns expressed by parents and students about the effects of the double – track and urge that it is completely phased out”.
Additional care must be taken to ensure that the children, teachers and non-teaching staff are not exposed to any avoidable risks while in school based on the lessons learned from the selective reopening of schools for the completion of transitional examinations last year, she said in a short press release.
“The appropriate Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities must be provided for the schools that lack them to ensure effective compliance with the recommended COVID-19 protocols. PPEs should also get to all schools on time”.
Madam Dzeagu used the opportunity to call on parents and guardians to ensure that their wards return to school when they reopen on the 15th January to continue their education.
She also advised parents and guardians not leave the safety of their children entirely to government, stressing: “Education is a shared responsibility and parents have an important role to play in protecting their children from any potential harm both at home and in school”.
They should therefore ensure that their wards were masks and urge them to comply with the guidelines provided for their safety while in school, according to her.
She concluded that the GNECC would be working together with the Ghana Education Service, UNESCO and UNICEF Ghana to undertake a #BacktoSchool campaign to ensure that no child is left behind.
African Eye Report
