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The Ghana National Education Campaigns Coalition (GNECC), has praised President Akufo-Addo for reopening schools and phasing out the dual track system for upper secondary school one and three.
It read: “We commend the government for responding to concerns expressed by parents and students about the effects of the dual track and urge that it be eliminated entirely.”
A statement issued in Accra by Ms Veronica Dzeagu, GNECC National Coordinator, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, has said.
The president made the announcement about the reopening of schools and the phasing out of the two-track system in his 21st address to the nation on measures taken to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The GNEC statement urged that additional precautions be taken to ensure that children, teachers, and non-teaching staff are not exposed to avoidable risks while in school, building on the lessons learned from the selective reopening of schools to complete transition exams last year.
He said the government should provide adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities for schools that lack them to ensure effective adherence to the protocols recommended by COVID-19, adding that the team from Personal protection must also reach all schools on time.
The statement advises parents and guardians to also ensure that their wards return to school when they reopen to continue their education and should not leave the safety of their children entirely to the government.
“Education is a shared responsibility and parents have an important role to play in protecting their children from potential harm both at home and at school.”
“Therefore, they must ensure that their pupils wear masks and urge them to adhere to the guidelines provided for their safety while at school,” he said.
The statement said it would work together with the Ghana Education Service, UNESCO and UNICEF Ghana to carry out a #BacktoSchool campaign to ensure no child is left behind.
President Akufo-Addo announced that all basic schools (KG-JHS) would reopen on January 15, 2021, and upper secondary schools on March 10, 2021.
He said SHS Two and Three would reopen on January 18, 2021, while all tertiary institutions would reopen on January 9, 2021.
—GNA
