Shutdown Schools Now- Akuapem Concerned Citizen

Many parents are anxiously mounting pressure on Ghana Education Service and the government as concerns over possible Covid-19 infection among schools going children grow amid an alarming rate of covid- 19 infections in senior high schools in the eastern region and Greater Accra.

Mr. Kwadwo Yeboah, a concerned citizen of Akuapem of Eastern Region of Ghana has questioned the Ghana Education Service and government of Ghana’s decision on the rationale behind the opening of kindergartens while even parliament with matured and brained has suspended its works after the increment of covid-19 infections in the house.

He opined that if students do not stay home the mixture of day and boarding students, the teaching and non-teaching staff on campus can easily spread the novel coronavirus.

Many people have called for the closure of schools in high-risk areas, including Greater Accra, Eastern, and Central with the suggestion that these three Regions can revert to E-Learning for at least one month until the number of cases had significantly declined.

Mr. Kwadwo Yeboah

He said although the Covid-19 situation in these 2 out of 3 Regions (Eastern and Central) are under control and the schools maintained strict compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOP), as well as protocols but the risk of transmission remained high, especially since inter districts and regional travels are barred.

 Mr. Kwadwo Yeboah emphasized that schools were previously closed when children were a bit safer on coronavirus death so why that the second wave of the deadly virus is indiscriminative with race, gender, and age that children should be exposed to the disease.

He further asked that “I do not understand the logic behind this after Ghana Medical Association came out to raise a red flag on the rate of transmission in schools but Parents and transport operators always gather around schools before and after. While Children play together, exchange masks and others chew masks. Doesn't this pose a risk, he questioned?"

He suggested that all parents should be given the choice to keep their children at home and classes should also be conducted online if schools remained opened in these above cities and towns.

For this reason, Mr. Kwadwo Yeboah has called on the government to impose a short-term ban on schools and inter-regional travel.

William Ofori Akwaboa/Eastern Regional Correspondent