The President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced that all pupils from kindergarten to Junior High School will return to school on January 15.
According to him, government drew lessons from reopening of some sections of educational institutions in 2020, hence in a better position to begin a new school year.
“Our children must go to school, albeit safely, and we are satisfied that, in the current circumstances, the re-opening of our schools is safe,” he disclosed in his 21st address to the nation on measures taken by government to ease restrictions.
Senior High Schools (SHS) will also reopen after January 15.
President Akufo-Addo declared that students in SHS 2 and SHS 3 will return to school on January 18.
Citing; Both the SHS 1 and SHS 3 students will no longer be on a double-track system.
“The expansion of infrastructure at the various senior high schools, over the last three (3) years, has brought us to this favourable situation”.
Students in Universities and other tertiary institutions are to be in school from Saturday, 9th of January, he added.
The reopening of schools follows nine months after the president ordered the closure of all educational institutions on March 15, 2020. This was part of government’s plans to ensure that the Covid-19 which was spreading rapidly in the country at the time was successfully managed.
In President Akufo-Addo’s 10th Address to the nation on Sunday May 31st on measures taken by the government to ease restrictions, he announced the reopening of schools for only final year students at all levels of education on Monday, June 15, 2020.
Later, JHS and SHS 2 students were allowed to go back to school on October 5 so they could also complete their studies for the academic year.
In his 21st address, President Akufo-Addo urged parents to not panic adding that there will be sensitization campaigns to educate kids and parents on how to avoid spreading or catching the virus.
“Prior to their return to school, government, through the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service, will ensure that all institutions, public and private, are fumigated and disinfected”.
“Schools and institutions, with their own hospitals and clinics, will be equipped with the necessary personal protective equipment, and have isolation centres to deal with any positive cases, he said.
He revealed that, “to facilitate the safety of students, government, through the Ministry of Education, will provide face masks, ‘Veronica’ buckets, hand sanitizers, liquid soap, rolls of tissue paper, and thermometer guns for the safe re-opening of the schools.
