Schools prepare to receive children
Heads of basic schools in Accra are feverishly preparing to reopen on January 18 following the President’s directive for schoolchildren to go back to school.
Even though COVID-19 still poses a threat after the long wait, the school heads are very happy to receive schoolchildren back to school.
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A visit by the Junior Graphic to a number of basic schools revealed that school authorities have outlined a number of measures as well as procedures to ensure that the children study in a safe environment and normal teaching and learning can go on with less difficulty.
Most of them admitted that they were bound to face more challenges when school re-opens but are very determined to overcome these challenges so that the schools will not be closed down again.
The Headteacher of the Kaneshie Awudome 3 JHS, Mr Stephen Kwame Oduro, explained that the school is earnestly waiting on the government to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other logistics to ensure the safety of schoolchildren in school.
These notwithstanding, they have provided Veronica buckets and sanitisers in case the government does not provide them on time.
He added that they were set to embark on some fumigation exercises and also weed the school to make it clean before the reopening date.
The Headmaster of the Mount Olivet Academy, Dansoman, Mr Daniel Arthur, expressed happiness that the schoolchildren were returning to school.
He added that clean-up and fumigation exercises had been carried out.
The authorities had placed the Veronica buckets, liquid soap and tissue papers at vantage points, indicating clearly how prepared they were.
“Since Mount Olivet Academy is a purely private entity, we have ensured that all is set for schoolchildren to return to school. We intend to add more of these logistics and hold a Parent-
Teacher Association (PTA) meeting to brief parents on the measures put in place to ensure the adherence of all safety protocols of COVID-19 while their children are in school”, he said.
For her part, the Headmistress of the Mother Mary School of Excellence, Mrs Marian Serwaa Agyeman-Badu, said her school had undertaken clean-up exercises and they were patiently depending on the government’s promises to supply some PPE and fumigate the school to ensure the safety of schoolchildren.
“The government has stated clearly that they will supply various schools some protective materials so we will keep in touch with them till we receive the items. We received some Veronica buckets and sanitisers when the Junior high School graduates were in school and we are hopeful that the government will keep to its promise”, she added.
The Headteacher of the Christ Ebenezer School, Mr James Debrah, explained that management was prepared and just waiting for the government’s directive for schools to reopen.
“We have had a number of meetings to outline some modalities to help in the adherence of all COVID-19 protocols when school resume. We know the government will supply some logistics but we intend to make available additional Veronica buckets, hand sanitisers, liquid soaps to supplement what government will provide”, he stated.
He said they had scheduled time for some compound workers to clean the school before school resume and explained that the school was spacious and had well-ventilated classrooms to ensure physical distancing among schoolchildren.
”We have extra classrooms which were not in use before the lockdown and we intend to use them when the children resume to avoid over-crowding”, he noted.