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Some participants during the workshop organised by SOS Children's Village in collaboration with Abuakwa North Education Directorates
Some participants during the workshop organised by SOS Children's Village in collaboration with Abuakwa North Education Directorates

Schools resort to shift system due to COVID-19

The academic shift system has been reintroduced in some schools within the Abuakwa North Municipality in the Eastern Region as a remedy to the spread of the COVID-19 among students and staff by the Education Directorate in collaboration with the Municipal Assembly.

The initiative, which has affected at least six basic schools within the municipality, was designed to create room for social distancing observation in the classroom due to overpopulation.

Schools such as the Osiem Saviour Basic School 'A' and 'B', OPASS MA Basic School, New Tafo Presbyterian Basic School, CRIG MA Primary School and Kukurantumi RC Basic School, have pioneered the two-week shift system. While the first school session commences from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, the second session takes off from 12:30 pm to 5:00 pm.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic last Tuesday during a workshop organised by SOS Children’s Village and the Education Directorate for Peer Educator Club patrons and executives at Akyem Tafo, the Municipal Education Director of Abuakwa North, Ms Abena Gyamera, said the move had yielded desirable results as students and teachers had expressed comfort, and consequently reduced the risk of coming into contact with the deadly coronavirus.

She added that the said measure ensured the zero positive cases of COVID-19 recorded in the schools within the municipality.

Self-esteem

Addressing the participants in the workshop, Ms Gyamera urged teachers to devise proactive ways of handling their students, especially while meting punishment in order to build their self-esteem instead of disintegrating the confidence of the students with demoralising comments and punishment.

The Education Director admonished parents to desist from being catalysts, leading their teenage children into unprofitable ventures that could curtail the future of the students.

“Some parents are fond of pushing their girl children onto the street to bring money home; most of whom end up with their male counterparts.

“Instances of this nature have been the chief contributor to teenage pregnancies among the young girls,” she said.

Appeal

Addressing the patrons and club executives, the Programme Director of SOS Children’s Village-Asiakwa, Mr Daniel Baani appealed to the participants to spearhead the initiative to create a stronger community by making researches and sharing tested knowledge.

Mr Baani urged participants to take advantage of virtual platforms necessitated by technology, especially within this season of the pandemic to learn positive practical approaches in order to advance the essence of the Peer Educator’s Club.

He called on the club patrons and the executives to assume the face of role models in order to appeal to others who were looking up to them to live the meaning of the club they represent.

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