The Takoradi Technical University (TTU) has introduced a new learning system where seventy percent of class activities will be done virtually with the remaining thirty percent at the lecture halls albeit a shift system.

This forms part of measures introduced to protect the students and staff from coronavirus infections.

“We have come up with what we call the blended learning mode, where we are doing 70/30. 70 will be theoretically based programmes which will be done online.

The remaining 30 will be practical. We have prepared the timetable in such a way that if your lecture period falls within the 70, you don’t need to come to campus because everything will be done online. So you can be in your hostel or anywhere and all you need is to hook on to the google classroom and have your interaction with your lecturer.

“The lecture notes and everything will be uploaded onto the google classroom. If it is practical which is the 30 percent as I said we have also decided with the lecturers and have cut down the numbers into groups so that they will run a shift and that will help ease the congestion at the lecture theatres”, registrar of the school, Moses Maclean Abnory told 3news.com

Mr. Abnory added that after several considerations management of the school has also changed the housing policy where only first-year students will be accommodated at the various halls of residency on campus.

“…going forward we have decided that we are going to house all first-year students into the University’s available vacancies. We also went ahead to engage some private hostels and ensured that our standards have been met. We have gone further to engage private companies for a medium to long-term plan in solving accommodation problems. If you go across the school’s field, you will see a structure which was built in 6 months. What you see there, we are going to replicate that fourteen times. Each block takes about 300 people. So we are looking at 3000-bed space for students when completed”.

The registrar explained the measures are part of a number of interventions that the school is deploying as school reopens for both first and continuing students to safeguard them from the COVID 19 virus.

“In fact, there are a series of measures that will not only protect the students but also the teaching and non – teaching staff because they are also important as we want to have a foolproof protection regime on campus”.

Takoradi Technical University is expecting over four thousand first-year students and ten thousand continuing students.

The registrar assured that the school is poised to protect both the teaching and non – teaching students and has set up a medical task force that will, on daily basis, be monitoring and ensuring that all COVID 19 protocols are followed religiously.

“For the first time, we have insisted that no mask, no entry anywhere on campus. The central administration, the library, lecture theatres, the main entrance, if you don’t have a mask on you will not be allowed to enter. We have also provided veronica buckets with water, soaps, and disposables. We have also posted flyers on COVID 19 at vantage points to serve as constant reminders for all and sundry. The other thing we have taken a decision on strongly is sanitation. We have also tried as much as possible to look at education on COVID 19. This is an attitudinal thing, so we have to have constant education. And so our COVID 19 taskforce team is strong on the ground”.

According to him with the completion of a new lecture block – the Oduro Block – they will be able to adhere to the social distancing protocols and space the students as far away from each other as possible.

In an interview with a cross-section of the students, they expressed delight that schools have reopened.

Even though some of them are not happy with the new measures, they describe as restrictive, they believe in the end they will help protect them against COVID 19.

Their challenge, however, is the cost that they will have to incur with having their lectures virtually.

“Who is going to pay for the cost of the internet because not all of us are on campus to enjoy the wifi. Some of our friends are also staying in areas that do not have good reception. So there are going to be challenges. I think we all need an orientation on this new method and how they intend rolling it out so that in the end nobody is left behind because we have paid school fees," a concerned student told 3news.com.