Public Gatherings Ban: "Don’t Pressure Government into Opening Schools now" – NAGRAT

The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, has appealed to the general public to stop putting pressure on the Akufo-Addo government to open schools amid the Coronavirus outbreak.

He asserted that, opening up schools now might cause the pandemic situation to escalate as pupils are not likely to adhere to precautionary measures

It has been about seven weeks since schools were shut down following a directive by President Nana Akufo-Addo to help curtail the community spread of the virus.

On the back of this, some teachers, and heads of institutions who are facing challenges in managing their schools have called on government to lift the public gatherings ban.

The demands heightened especially after the partial lockdown on some parts of the country was lifted.

There have also been complaints from some parents who find difficulty in keeping their children occupied during these times due to financial constraints and lack of resources.

However, Angel Carbonu in an interview on Citi TV’s Point of View on Wednesday indicated that Ghanaians would be “laughing at the wrong side of their mouths” if activities at schools should be resumed in these times.

“No one should stampede the government by putting pressure on the government to open schools. What happens in a school of 2,000 students when all sleep in dormitories and study in a classroom of over 50 students? If one student is affected with coronavirus, we know what is going to happen. We know the nature of our schools in this country. Who is going to tell the Class 1 child about social distancing? The moment you tell a Class 1 child to keep social distances, he’ll prove to you his understanding of social distancing by coming close to you. Please let us not stampede the government to open schools for there to be any calamity because when it gets to the younger generation, we will all be laughing at the wrong side of our mouths,” he said.

READ ALSO:
Ghana’s Airports to Open Soon for Domestic Flights – Aviation Minister

A Deputy Minister of Education in-charge of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, also on the program noted that the reopening of schools should be delayed a little longer to ensure the safety of students in the wake of COVID-19.

He said the closure was a safety measure devised by the government to prevent a spread of the virus in schools and should be in force until scientific data suggests otherwise.

“Everything we are saying here is not because someone does not want to do something. We are running this country and we are fighting this fight based on science and facts. If the environment is not safe for students to be in school, you cannot be in school,” the Deputy Minister said.