Educationist, Divine Kpe has called on all teachers to prioritize the psychological needs of children as they return to school.

Speaking to UniversNews, Mr. Kpe explained that being at home for nine months has affected students in diverse ways so as teachers are focusing on their academic needs, their psychological needs should be taken into consideration as well.

“Teachers should not just be interested in engaging in the academic aspects of the children. There is a relationship between their psychological well-being and academic performance. If they are well in school emotionally, they will be able to give In their best. Children formed a social community when they were in school and to stay home for this long, will have social and psychological effects on them. So it is important to focus on that aspect of the child because if you ignore it and focus only on academics, you will be teaching the child and the child will get no impact,” he explained

He also opined that teachers will have to assess students and restructure their teaching methods to satisfy some behavioural changes of the children.

He urged teachers to be ready to tolerate some habits some children would have picked up as a result of being at home for a long period.

“Some students who were doing academically well, may not come back the same, so schools should reposition themselves. They have to start by accessing the students with the knowledge level they are coming back with and be able to understand them. They have been exposed to many things in their community from being at home for this long, so teachers need to readjust their way of teaching to help satisfy some of these behavioural change of the students.”

Reopening of schools

President Nana Akufo-Addo in his 21st update to the Nation on measures taken against the spread of COVID-19 directed all basic school students from Kindergarten (KG) to Junior High School (JHS) to resume their classroom activities from Friday, January 15, 2021.

Continuing Senior High School (SHS) students will go back to school on January 18, 2021, while first-year SHS students are expected to begin school on March 10, 2021.

Tertiary students were to return to lecture halls from Saturday, January 9, 2021.