Hajia Ayishetu Aminu Zakari, Headmistress of Gushegu Senior High School (SHS) in the Gushegu Municipality of the Northern Region, has expressed worry over low turnout of students to the school after one week of reopening.

Hajia Zakari said a total of 1,215 students were expected to return, but only 284, which comprised 187 final year students and 97 SHS 2 students had reported.

SHSs across the country reopened to final year students on June 22, to prepare for their West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) and second-year gold track students to also complete their first-semester academic work in accordance with the President’s directives.

Hajia Zakari announced this when she joined some officials from the Gushegu Municipal Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to pay courtesy calls on Gushe Naa Abdulai Shitobu, the Paramount Chief of Gushegu Traditional Area.

The courtesy call was to discuss how the low turnout was affecting teaching and learning and also solicit ideas to ensure all students returned to school.

The Headmistress called on parents, traditional and religious authorities and other stakeholders in the Municipality to join forces to ensure all students reported to school to allow them to successfully complete their academic work.

She said, "We have received all the necessary personal protective equipment from government, so our students and staff would be appropriately protected, and so we are calling on parents especially to allow their wards to come back to school."

Mr Bright Armston Lawoe, the Gushegu Municipal Director of Education, said students were safe from the COVID-19 because strategic measures had been put in place to protect them, adding “Students only need to observe all the preventive etiquettes in and out of their classrooms."

Gushe Naa Shitobu pledged his commitment to support the school’s authorities to persuade students to go back to school as directed by the president.