Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Deputy Education Minister in charge of Basic and Secondary Education, has asked managers of private schools to apply for the GHS600million stimulus package earmarked by the government to support businesses deal with the effect of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said the package covers players in the educational sector, hence they can apply to benefit from the programme.

Responding to concerns that private school teachers have not been paid salaries for three months following the COVID-19 ban, while speaking on the Sunrise Show on 3FM hosted by Alfred Ocansey on Wednesday, May 20, Mr Adutwum remarked, “If they have not been paid then I think its management issue

“The GHS600million stimulus included education and so I will encourage private owners to apply.”

Regarding the possible reopening of schools, Dr Adutwum said that the Ghana Education Service (GES) is currently engaging stakeholders on a possible reopening of schools.

He said the decision, apart from the assessment and engagement by the GES, will also largely depend on health considerations.

“The GES has started engagement, they will be meeting with teacher unions and other groups to solicit their inputs.

“Of course the critical decisions won't come from education, it will come from health, just like in the US where the Centre for Disease Control (CDC ) gave a broad stroke of a kind of a policy and said this has to prevail, this has to be there.”.

He added, “GES is not blindfolded by the reality of the situation and of course they cannot just jump and reopen schools without a thorough analysis at the highest level of government.”