Correspondence from Bono Region:

Some students have shared their thoughts on the proposed re-opening of the various educational institutions.

The students’ mostly final year Senior High School students believe that the time has come for the re-opening of schools by government.

Sharing their thoughts on the issue, they revealed that their continuous stay in the house will not inure to their benefits as students as rain or shine they will definitely write their final examination.

Speaking to Ghanaweb, Joy Hollande, a final year student in one of the top Senior High schools in the Bono region said that even though the coronavirus is at its highest level in the country, many government institutions are opened and are going about their activities with strict COVID-19 protocols in place and so educational institutions can also do same.

Joy argues that schools can be opened with the final year students reporting first with proper mechanisms in place to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus among students.

Jessica Konadu, another student who shares similar sentiments yearns for life in school as according to her they are accustomed to the traditional way of teaching and learning.

She avers that even though government has instituted different measures to engage students in the house that cannot be the solution and so government should as a matter of urgency take steps for the re-opening of schools as their stay in the house will impact negatively on the life of many students.

“It looks like the COVID-19 pandemic will not be ending any time soon so government should make arrangements for the reopening of schools. There are different platforms where teaching takes place but we are used to the traditional system of teaching and learning where we feel the presence of our teachers. I think we have stayed in the house for far too long so schools should be re-opened with strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols in the various educational institutions”.

Four teacher unions have criticised the Ghana Education Service’s (GES) request for proposals for the reopening of schools in the country.

The teacher unions - GNAT, NAGRAT, TEWU and CCT say measures towards a possible reopening of all Basic and Senior High Schools is not only uncalled for but a misplaced priority.

Schools have been shut down since March after President Akufo-Addo’s first address on the novel Coronavirus.

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