In line with the President’s announcement for the full reopening of all basic and senior high schools (SHSs) on January 15, the Ministry of Education (MoE), in partnership with Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL), has begun a comprehensive strategy to disinfect and fumigate them.

The one-week operation will make the schools safe and secure for the return of pupils and students to continue with their academic studies.

Meanwhile, several basic and SHSs in Ashanti and Bono Regions have already benefited from the exercise. The schools in the Ashanti Region include Armed Forces Senior High and Technical (AFSHT), Asanteman Senior High School, Islamic Senior High School and Adventist Senior High School.

In the Bono East Region, schools including Tanoso RC Basic School, Tanoso MA Basic School, Tanoso Presby School, Morning Star Technical, Kwarteng Ankomah Senior High School and Nkoranza Senior High Technical School, and Nkoranza Technical Institute have had their share of the programme.

The heads of the schools welcomed the news by the President that schools should reopen on Friday, January 15, 2021. They, therefore, commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Zoomlion for their immense efforts in ensuring that the virus did not spread in schools.

At the AFSHT, the Assistant Headmistress in-charge of Domestic, Ms Harriet Hedoti, gave the assurance that the school will complement the government's effort to maintain a safe school environment ahead of the return of students to school.

"This disinfection exercise has been a life saver. We can only be thankful to God Almighty for keeping us safe from contracting the disease and also Zoomlion Ghana Limited, not forgetting the government of Ghana for such an initiative," Ms. Hedoti noted.

While admitting his school had a challenge with classroom space, the Senior Headmistress in charge of Domestic, Asanteman Senior High School, Matilda Gyamera, assured parents of the safety of their children, adding that they were ready to receive the students.

In addition, she said the school had put in place a COVID-19 team who has been assigned the responsibility of regular updates and reminders of the students to ensure that both students and staff members live in a safe environment.

The Senior Housemaster of Asanteman Senior High School, Mr Fordjour Bismark Kwadwo, remarked that though his school had not recorded any COVID-19 cases, they will not relent on their efforts to keep that record.