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Tag: schools

  • Second-year SHS, JHS students to resume October 5

    Second-year Junior High School and Senior High School students will be returning to school on October 5, 2020.

    This follows relevant consultations by the Ghana Education Service, according to President Akufo-Addo.

    “With Junior High Schools operating with class sizes of thirty (30), and Senior High Schools with class sizes of twenty-five (25), SHS 2 and JHS 2 students will be in school for ten (10) weeks to study, and write their end of term examinations,” the President said in an address to the nation on Sunday evening.

    Prior to reopening, all schools will be fumigated and disinfected.

    All JHS two and SHS two students will be given reusable face masks like was done for the final year JHS and SHS students who reported to school earlier in the year.

    JHS two students will also be given one hot meal a day.

    “SHS 2 students in boarding houses are to return to their various dormitories on 5th October, whilst day students, respecting fully the COVID-19 protocols, will commute from home to their respective schools on the same date. Prior to reopening, all Junior and Senior High Schools will be fumigated and disinfected. Just as was done in the case of final year university, JHS and SHS students, all JHS 2 and SHS 2 students, as well as all teaching and non-teaching staff, will be given reusable face masks. Each school will be provided with Veronica Buckets, gallons of liquid soap, rolls of tissue paper, thermometer guns, and 200 milli-litre containers of sanitizers. JHS 2 students will be given one hot meal a day,” President Akufo-Addo added.

    President Akufo-Addo, however, said pupils from KG to primary 6, JHS 1 and SHS 1  will, however, return to school in January 2021.

    “The Ghana Education Service, after further consultations, has decided to postpone the remainder of the academic year for all nursery, kindergarten, primary, JHS 1 and SHS 1 students. The next academic year will resume in January 2021, with appropriate adjustments made to the curriculum to ensure that nothing is lost from the previous year. The relevant dispositions will also be made so that the presence, at the same time, in school of all streams of students, can occur in safety.”

    Source: citinewsroom

  • 2019/20 Academic year postponed to 2021

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) has postponed the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year to January 2021.

    The decision to postpone the academic year which was brought to a halt in March due to the Coronavirus pandemic in the country was taken after further consultations with stakeholders.

    Second year Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) students, would however, return to school from October 5 to December 15 to complete their academic year.

    The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, made this known Sunday in his 16th address to the nation on measures taken to control the spread of the Coronavirus disease.

    “The Ghana Education Service after further consultations has decided to postpone the remainder of the academic year for all nursery, kindergarten, primary, JHS1 and SHS1 students. The next academic year will resume in January 2021 with the appropriate adjustments made to the curriculum to ensure that nothing is lost from the previous year,” the President said.

    “The relevant dispositions will also be made so that the presence, at the same time, in schools of all streams of students, can occur in safety,” he added.

    JHS 2, SHS 2 return to school October 5

    The President noted that JHSs would operate with a class sizes of 30 while SHSs would operate with a class sizes of 25.

    He added that the students would be in school for 10 weeks to study and write their end of term examinations.

    President Akufo-Addo further noted that prior to reopening, all schools would be fumigated and disinfected.

    He said as part of measures to control the spread of the Coronavirus, all the students would be given reusable face masks like was done for the final year JHS and SHS students who reported to school earlier in the year.

    JHS two students will also be given one hot meal a day.

    “SHS 2 students in boarding houses are to return to their various dormitories on 5th October, whilst day students, respecting fully the COVID-19 protocols, will commute from home to their respective schools on the same date. Prior to reopening, all Junior and Senior High Schools will be fumigated and disinfected.

    Just as was done in the case of final year university, JHS and SHS students, all JHS 2 and SHS 2 students, as well as all teaching and non-teaching staff, will be given reusable face masks. Each school will be provided with Veronica Buckets, gallons of liquid soap, rolls of tissue paper, thermometer guns, and 200 milli-litre containers of sanitizers. JHS 2 students will be given one hot meal a day,” President Akufo-Addo added.

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • Education Minister urges School Reopening Committee to collaborate with key stakeholders

    Education Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has urged a committee set up to deliberate and advice on modalities for the re-opening of schools in the pre-tertiary subsector to engage actively with key stakeholders.

    He told the School Reopening Committee that in its deliberations, it must ensure that all stakeholders are brought on board in drawing up its recommendations for transmission to the President and thanked them for accepting this important national assignment.

    The committee is chaired by Prof Dominic Fobih, a former Minister of Education and currently the chairman of the GETFund Board of Trustees and comprises representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, UNICEF, Private school sector and Parents.

    The committee has one month period to report back to the Minister on its recommendations, on September 21, 2020.

    Schools were shut down in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Dr Prempeh on Thursday, August 20, 2020, inaugurated the 10-member committee in Accra for the approval of the President.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • UCC, technical universities, others to reopen on August 24 for continuing students

    All continuing students of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), technical universities and some other colleges are to return to school on August 24, 2020 to complete the academic year.

    This is according to the latest update given by the President, Nana Akufo-Addo on Sunday, August 16, 2020.

    He announced that “through online learning portals, almost all continuing students in our universities have completed their studies for the academic year with the exception of the University of Cape Coast, University of Health and Allied Sciences, technical universities and some other colleges. After extensive stakeholder consultations, the decision has been taken for continuing students of these tertiary institutions to return to school on 24th August to finish their academic year.”

    “Just as was done for final year students who returned to school, government through the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service will ensure that all these tertiary institutions are disinfected.”

    Public and private universities across the country were instructed to resume academic work as final year students were asked to return to school on June 15, 2020.

    The partial reopening as announced by the government saw final year university students resume, lectures to enable them to take their exit exams.

    FInal year Senior and Junior High Schools students were also asked to do same.

    The SHS students are still writing their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), while most of the universities have ended the academic year for the final students.

    Source: citinewsroom

  • WASSCE: Bright SHS proprietor charged amid calls to shutdown school

    Owner of Bright Senior High School (SHS) at Akyem Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region is set to be arraigned before a court following the disturbances that erupted in the school during the ongoing West Africa School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    Mr. Bright Amponsah has been charged with abetment of crime to wit assault, assault, and causing damage, police in the Eastern Region has said.

    His crime led to the assault of some officials of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and a journalist. He is said to have incited the students against them.

    The Proprietor, who was arrested and subsequently granted bail together with four other teachers of the school on Monday, August 10, 2020, reported at the Koforidua Divisional Command to further assist with investigations.

    The Koforidua Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Kofi Adzie Tuadzra, who led the initial operation told Citi News the proprietor will soon be arraigned.

    “We picked up the proprietor and we began our investigation into the allegations that he mobilized students to assault WAEC officials. The case was left with the Tafo District Headquarters. They have carried out investigations and today the parties were brought here to know the way forward and by this weekend, we will know whether they will be taken to court.”

    “We are still doing investigations. As and when we find out that there is enough evidence to support the charges against them, we will know whether we will take them to court. But when we are done, we will definitely go to court”, he noted.

    While students of the school have been given a different examination centre, security has been beefed up at all centres to prevent any eventuality.

    Akyem Abuakwa Chiefs want Bright SHS closed down

    In a related development, pressure is already mounting on the Ghana Education Service and other stakeholders to close down the school.

    The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council, which is leading the charge said in a statement through the state secretary Daniel Marfo Ofori Atta also called for the arrest and prosecution of the proprietor.

    Read the full statement below:

    DEMAND FOR THE CLOSURE OF BRIGHT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

    It is the well-considered opinion of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council to hold up to its responsibility in relation to the affairs of the Bright Senior High School situated at Kukurantumi in the Abuakwa North District of the Eastern Region. Particular emphasis is the conduct over the past decade of the proprietor of the school, a certain Bright Amponsah.

    This statement is provoked by the incident of examination fraud of grave significance in direct relation to the assault of Mr. Gyan Mensah and Damolie Emmanuel Pacome, an official of the West African Examination Council and a reporter or the Daily Graphic respectively in their lawful duties to insist on fair conduct of WASSCE examination.

    The assault was instigated and ordered under the misdirection of Bright Amponsah, the proprietor of the rogue Bright Senior High School which for over a decade has been engaged in ultra-commercial and profiteering aims which runs against the established interest of the educational policy and integrity of the public examination.

    The above is not an isolated incident; it confirms several reports of corrupt and exploitative motives of Bright Senior High School.

    Of more importance to this matter and of illustrative and evidential significance is his bribery of certain officers of the West African Examination Council over the past decade.

    This situation is proven by the honesty of Mr. Gyan Mensah who decided not to bow to the filthy temple of indecency and corruption.

    The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council takes this matter seriously.

    I am directed to express publicly that the results of the exam from the rogue Bright SHS are falsified.

    It has become evident that 90% of graduands of the Bright SHS drop out of public universities in their first year due to their lack of ability to meet the intellectual and academic demands of tertiary institutions.

    The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council is most concerned with the fact of the abuse and degradation of its young mind and regrettably is unable to tolerate this situation.

    The Council finds the liberal attitude of public authorities on this matter as a radical deviation from a responsible attitude in terms of enforcement of the public policy.

    Also to the above, it has been noted that Bright SHS in terms of admission process and curriculum is in violation of all the protocols and regulatory measures of the Ghana Education Service. This point is proven without a doubt.

    The Council directs its decision in relation as stated above to live up to its customary responsibility to defend the interest of the youth and ensure integrity in public life.

    Further are reports of sexual abuse, which for the sake of lack of evidence I am not directed to relate.

    Finally, I am instructed by the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council and on the august permission of His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin on the following measures divorced from any compromise:

    The closure of the Bright Senior High School with immediate effect.

    The arrest of Bright Amponsah, the proprietor of Bright Senior High School, and his immediate prosecution.

    On humanitarian grounds and fatherly consideration, the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council will assist in the rehabilitation of affected students; this is in consideration of their immediate and best interest.

    Further, a thorough investigation of the operations of Bright SHS over the last decade with particular concern with its dealings with certain officers of the West African Examination Council WAEC

    Also, to be emphasized and insisted, comprehensive auditing of the academic and social situation of Bright SHS by the GES and the police.

    D.M. OFORI-ATTA, STATE SECRETARY

     

    Source: Daily Mail

  • Students involved in Ndewura Jakpa SHTS destruction to be surcharged MCE

    Students of the Ndewura Jakpa Senior High Technical School in the West Gonja Municipal Assembly of the Savannah Region who participated in the destruction of school properties during a protest are to pay for the damages caused.

    The students demonstrated last Wednesday evening against school authorities because of the strict social distancing and invigilation procedure implemented in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    In the process, some students damaged the new six-unit school block which was built to help end the double-track system for the school.

    The West Gonja Municipal Chief Executive, Saeed Muhazu Gibril said the rampaging students will be duly punished after an internal investigation is completed.

    He also added that the students found culpable will be made known to the Ghana Education Service for further action to be taken against them.

    “Those who are going to be found culpable for their involvement in the demonstration and destruction of government property are going to be surcharged. Apart from that, when we finish our investigation, we will forward the names to the GES headquarters for further action to be taken against these students. We are not mincing words on this because the extent of damage they did to school property, you cannot ask the central government to come and do the renovation,” he said.

    The rampaging students first destroyed the lightening system and plunged the whole school into darkness last Wednesday.

    Parts of the ceiling of a new six-unit classroom block that was handed over to the school to end double-track system were also removed.

    It took the intervention of the police to stop the students from causing further destruction in the school.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • WASSCE riots: Corporal punishment must be reintroduced – GNAT

    The Ghana Education Service must think of reintroducing corporal punishment to instill discipline in most schools across the country, President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Phillipa Larson has stated.

    Speaking on Morning Starr, Madam Larson said the behaviour of some candidates in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is a clear indication that the Ghana Education Service must reconsider the ban on corporal punishments in schools.

    “I think that as a country we should look at corporal punishment and bring it back in a way,” Madam Larson told sit-in host Lantam Papanko Monday morning on Starr 103.5FM.

    GES in 2017 officially banned all forms of corporal punishment of children in schools in Ghana as part of efforts aimed at promoting a safe and protective learning environment for children.

    The GES directed in January 2019 that a Positive Discipline Toolkit which gives alternatives to corporal punishments be adopted by all teachers.

    On Friday, the GES dismissed some 14 final year students who are believed to have caused chaos and destroyed properties in their respective schools in the wake of the ongoing WASSCE.

    The GES in a statement said the action is to serve as deterrent for other students who are still partaking in the exams.

    President Akufo-Addo on Sunday appealed to the Ghana Education Service to reconsider the decision to ban some 14 students from writing the ongoing WASSCE following their involvement in the recent chaos in their schools.

    In a statement Sunday, the President directed the Education Minister to intervene in order to ensure that the students are made to write the exams. The statement, however, noted the dismissal and other punishment meted to them must stand.

     

    Source: Starr FM

  • Sack final year SHS students involved in reckless violence from boarding house GES

    Heads of the various Senior High Schools(SHSs) where final year students have been engaged in misconduct over “strict invigilation” and “social distance” at examinations halls have been directed to deboardnize all students found culpable.

    According to the Ghana Education Service(GES), the deboardnized students will have to commute from their homes to the various schools under parental supervision.

    Also, Headmasters of these schools have been directed to report all forms of criminality to the Ghana Police Service for investigations to be conducted and punishment meted out where necessary.

    The Service has also ordered that students established to be involved in the destruction of school property should be surcharged.

    The Ghana Education Service in its statement called on parents to speak to their wards to maintain high level of discipline and comportment because pleas for mitigation will not be accepted by the various schools.

     

    Source: My News GH

  • Height of indiscipline, insubordination and disrespect by SHS students must be condemned by all – Ablakwa

    Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has condemned the rude behaviour and vulgar language by some Senior High School (SHS) students towards President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after writing their first final examination paper.

    Lots of videos went viral on social media days ago showing some students in various SHSs insulting the President because they relied on leaked examination questions which didn’t appear in their actual exams.

    The students, who are beneficiaries of the President’s free SHS programme, were disappointed that they couldn’t write their exams satisfactorily.

    With some of them demonstrating and vandalizing school properties, others also blamed the President for not helping them amidst fears they will fail the exams and so used unpalatable words on the First Gentleman of the land.

    Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa, addressing the issue, has cautioned his fellow legislators, politicians and the entire nation not to condone the student’s insubordination.

    “Vandalizing school property & insulting the President because you are not pleased with your exams must be the height of indiscipline, insubordination & disrespect which must be condemned by all. Education is not just about passing exams, it is more about shaping good character,” he tweeted.

     

    Source: Peace FM

  • Tweneboa Kodua SHS students apologise to school authorities, government for riot

    Final year students of the Tweneboa Kodua Senior High School in the Ashanti Region have rendered an unqualified apology to school authorities and government following a protest on campus.

    The riot which resulted in the destruction of properties was allegedly caused by the strict supervision of the headteacher of the school, during the writing of the WASSCE Integrated Science paper.

    Mr. John Asante had also been accused of manhandling some students and teachers during the exams.

    In a video circulating on social media, the students had threatened to boycott the exams if their headteacher is not removed from the examination hall.

    While the boys marched to the office of the District Chief Executive (DCE), the girls who stayed on campus refused to take food served at the dining hall.

    The police were subsequently called in to restore calm as the protest nearly halted the writing of Paper 2 of the Integrated Science exam.

    But in a new video that has gone viral, some students could be seen on their knees while a male colleague apologises for their behaviour which has been widely condemned.

    “On behalf of the entire students, I want to apologise first to the entire teaching staff, non-teaching staff, assistant headmaster, District Chief Executive, District Police Commander, Education Directorate and our dear headmaster. We are very sorry,” he said.

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • WASSCE candidates clash with invigilators at Akyem Kukurantumi

    Some candidates in the ongoing West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination have clashed with invigilators at Bright SHS in Akyem Kukurantumi over alleged intimidation.

    The swift intervention by armed police personnel from Akyem Tafo and Some BNI officials helped restore calm Thursday morning.

    According to the students, the special deployment of external invigilators supervising the examination have been very strict disallowing them to even go out to urinate.

    The students say the situation is affecting them psychologically hence unable to write the exams

    Meanwhile, there is similar tension building up at Only Believe Senior High Technical School, a private school in Akyem Kukurantumi over similar alleged intimidation .

    A little over 1,000 candidates are sitting the exams in the school. Some of the students on Wednesday protested against the situation.

    On Thursday they went beserk after the Social Studies paper and deflated the car tyre of an Invigilator identified as Mr. Acheampong in charge of a car with registration number AS 1471-X.

    Mr. Acheampong who is a registration officer in the ongoing Voters register abandoned his invigilation post.

    The private schools are alleging the deployment of many invigilators to their schools has political undertones.

    They believe it is an attempt by government to make private schools unattractive to discourage patronage by students not happy with quality of Education in Public Schools.

    “We are not happy about the deployment of many external invigilators to private schools on how they are intimidating our students. Psychologically it is affecting the students and we think it is politics just to influence performance of private schools to make it unattractive for Public Schools enjoying Free SHS to have glory”.

     

    Source: Starr FM

  • Four remanded Zebilla SHTS students denied access to write WASSCE

    Four final year students of Zebilla Senior High Technical School in the Upper East Region who have been remanded into Police Custody by a Bawku Circuit Court have been denied access to write the ongoing West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination(WASSCE).

    The students in the early hours of Monday, August 3, appealed to the Zebila Police Commander to allow them to join their colleagues to write the exams, but their request was declined.

    According to the Police, the suspect students return to custody could not be guaranteed, and sending them to the examination hall under armed guard could create an intimidating atmosphere for the other candidates.

    In an interview with TV3 monitored by Kasapafonline.com, the Headmaster of the School, Richard Ayabilah regretted the development but stressed that the due process must be followed.

    The students together with three others were accused of rioting, causing unlawful damage and disturbing of Public peace.

    Background

    Some students of the Zebilla Senior High Technical School( Zebilla Sectech) vandalized school property as well as the property of the headmaster over the seizure of their mobile phones by school authorities.

    The students, all third-years, went on the rampage on Saturday 25 July at about 9:30 pm, destroying school vehicles and other school property in protest against the seizure of their phones and punishment being meted out to them for possessing the phones and charging them through illegal electrical connections

    The enraged students sent teachers and other workers fleeing for their lives as they pelted stones and wielded sticks and clubs which were meant for whipping the teachers.

     

    Source: Kasapa FM

  • SHS student collapses and dies during exams

    A second-year gold-track student of Oyoko Methodist Senior High School in Koforidua has died during exams.

    The female student collapsed while writing Literature in English WASSCE Thursday afternoon.

    She was immediately rushed to the St. Joseph Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

    Starr News has gathered that the General Arts student was not well in the last three days and was treated at the sickbay.

    The cause of death has not been ascertained as yet.

    Education officials in the region are currently at the hospital where she died.

     

    Source: Starr FM

  • Ejisu SHTS student jailed for a day over theft, abusive assistant headmaster granted bail

    The Juabeng Circuit court has sentenced a student of Ejisu Secondary Technical High School to a day in prison. Guggisberg Asameti pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a stabiliser belonging to the school.

    Guggisberg is one of two students locked up overnight in the office of the assistant headmaster of the school a week ago.

    He is to also pay a fine of GHS1,200 and sign a bond of good behavior for 12 months.

    Meanwhile, the Assistant headmaster who locked the students in his office and allegedly slapped them in turns has been granted a GHS5,000 bail with one surety.

    Appiah Albert Kofi faces charges of assault, unlawful imprisonment and abetement to commit crime, to wit attempted suicide.

    He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

    Background

    Mr Appiah was earlier asked to step aside from official duties ahead of processes being initiated by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to haul him before a disciplinary committee.

    The Assistant Headmaster had indicated the two students were in possession of a bag containing a stabiliser, suspected to have been stolen. A taxi driver handed them over to authorities, as they reportedly tried to scale the school fence wall.

    They were stripped half-naked and locked up by the assistant headmaster overnight where the student who attempted suicide drank liquid soap, leading to his hospitalisation.

    He was arrested and held in cells over what police describe as an illegal and condemnable act.

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • Government urged to reopen basic schools

    A senior lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Faculty of Education, Dr. Ibrahim M. Gunu pleads with government to reopen basic schools in low risky areas.

    He argues that the continuous closure of basic schools in Ghana as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic could lead to an upsurge in early marriages, school dropouts and child labour in Northern part of Ghana.

    In an article, Dr. Gunu stated that, “I want to commend government for the continuous engagement of significant stakeholders in the education sector and I suggests that government should at least reopen basic schools in low risky areas in Ghana by September, 2020.”

    “We need to know that children cannot wait for that long. Children learn less, and lose the habit of learning. In some parts of Ghana if schools are not reopened, students may give up their studies and start work or get married. Children are more likely going to suffer abuse, malnutrition and poor mental health.”

    “Parents who have nowhere to drop their children struggle to go to work.”

    According to Dr. Gunu, Ghana’s high recoveries rate coupled with government’s stringent measures put in place to curb the pandemic’s widespread are enormous, hence his assertion.

    Below is the full text.

    The world has been under a lockdown for some time now as a result of COVID-19. Globally, schools, Colleges and Universities were closed as a result of the fear of spread of the disease.

    The continuous delay in reopening schools, Colleges, and Universities across the country, generated psychological effects on students, which can be expressed as anxiety, fear, worry, and even trauma, among others.

    In search of normalcy regarding teaching and learning in Ghanaian Schools, Colleges and Universities, the government of Ghana provided guidelines and support for these institutions, which I consider as a good leadership direction.

    Based on the guidelines, Universities in Ghana resorted to remote instruction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The end of the school year in Ghana is associated with examinations. These are often used to select or certify students as they move from one level to the next or into the workforce.

    Concerns regarding the question of what it means to have spent years working towards an exam or a degree only to graduate in one of the longest waiting periods became an issue.

    Subsequently, final year students were recalled to take their examination in the Universities, Colleges, Junior High Schools (JHS) and Senior High Schools (SHS).

    Final year students in the Colleges of Education and some Universities have successfully finished their final examinations.

    It is important to mention that final year students participating in examination is a good idea. In my opinion, it will reduce the unbearable psychological pressure on them.

    Recommendations

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) should ensure the continuous observance of health protocols in schools in order to contain the spread of the COVID 19 pandemic in schools.

    The most vulnerable teachers should stay at home. Reduce class sizes, reduce contact hours for a start.

    Reorganize timetables to prevent crowding at school gates, ensure compulsory wearing of masks and separate desks with recommended spacing dimension.

    Government should allow continuing students in grades 1-8 (Primary 1 to JHS2) to be promoted to the next grade without taking examinations.

    Remedial measures should be put in place to support the students and government should avoid a situation where the entire academic year will be cancelled.

    The reopening of schools should not be a partisan issue, as it has sadly become in Ghana, where some people will assume it to be bad idea.

    The teacher unions should not take political stands and rather work with the government to support our children in the schools.
    Conclusion

    I wish to thank government for taking the needed steps to ensure normalcy in our schools (JHS and SHS), Colleges and Universities in Ghana.

    Whilst appreciating the fact that many parents are scared that schools are somehow crowded, that small children may not observe social distancing, cases are rising and many other examples, equally we need to know that recoveries are high and the cost of missing school is huge.

    This unprecedented crisis calls for a collaborative efforts for which reason, parents, teachers, politicians and other significant stakeholders should support the students and stop creating fear and panic as this will not support the growth and development of the nation.

     

    Source: Abdul Karim Naatogmah, Contributor

  • Government to decide on the reopening of all schools soon – President Akufo-Addo

    Government will decide when schools will reopen after the current examinations involving final year students are concluded by mid-September, President Akufo-Addo says.

    “I will keep you fully informed about the outcomes,” the President gave the assurance on Sunday night in his 14th COVID-19 updates to the nation.

    He said the safety and good health of students and staff had been the paramount considerations in the reopening of schools, as part of the phases of easing of the COVID-19 restriction measures, adding that the state would therefore, continue to insist on full adherence to the enhanced COVID-19 protocols, especially within the schools.

    “That is why, as has already been widely publicised, we undertook a massive mobilisation and deployment of logistics to our educational facilities to help ensure that learning is conducted in an atmosphere of safety, as we continue to limit and contain the spread of the virus in our country. ”

    He said since his last address to the nation about a month ago, there had been over 75,000 persons, comprising students, teachers and non-teaching staff, in the Junior High Schools returning to school to prepare for and sit the Basic Education Certificate Examination.

    Besides, on Monday July 20, the 370,000 final year Senior High School students, who had been in school for five weeks, started writing the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination.

    Again, 127,143 students in the Universities and other tertiary institutions have all virtually completed their final examinations.

    The President said all the measures being put in place to contain the spread of the virus among the students pointed to the commitment of the Government to protect the lives of “all those involved in the phased re-openings of our schools, and I will not renege on my obligation towards either our children or their parents.

    “Mercifully, we have witnessed only a few cases of infections in our Universities and other tertiary institutions; the few students who tested positive in a few of our Senior High Schools have all either recovered or are on the path to full recovery, and will write the WASSCE; and the few final year Junior High School students, who have tested positive and who are largely asymptomatic, are being managed in isolation centres, “he said.

    President Akufo-Addo reminded Ghanaians that while the pandemic lingered on, life could not be put on hold indefinitely, and Ghana could also not remain in a never-ending crisis management situation “and that is why we have been putting measures in place to restore gradually some normalcy in our social and economic lives, as we learn to cope with the reality of the virus”.

    He said the gradual reopening of the schools to enable final year students at various levels of education finish the school year and take their exams was probably the most significant measure taken by the government on the easing of the COVID-19 related restrictions.

    Source: GNA

  • 75 students test positive for coronavirus in Western Region

    Since the government reopened schools, seventy-five students in the Western Region have tested positive for COVID-19, the Ghana Health Service has revealed.
    According to the Regional Director for Health Services, Naa Dr. Jacob Mahama, the test was conducted in thirteen (13) educational institutions and the result shows that 75 students contracted the virus.

    Addressing the media in the region on the theme “Continuing Quality Health Service Delivery Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Challenges”, he gave the breakdown that in the Nzema East Municipality, 26 students at Nsien Senior High School tested positive, at the Shama Senior High School in the Shama district, out of 46 samples collected, 19 of the samples turned out positive while in the Amenfi West district, Asankragua Nursing and Midwifery school had 6 positive cases of COVID-19.

    The Health Director said a total of 2,467 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the Western Region, out of which 2,216 have been discharged and 6 patients have passed away as of today, July 23, 2020.

    The Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality tops the chart with 639 cases, followed by Sekondi-Takoradi with 632 cases. The Amenfi West Municipality at the border of the region to the Western North has record 442 cases.

     

    Source: Pulse Ghana

  • 25 Mawuli School students, others test positive for Covid-19

    Twenty-five students of Mawuli School are currently in isolation after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.

    They are currently receiving treatment to enable a speedy recovery as they are asymptomatic.

    Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye revealed this at a press briefing, Tuesday.

    “Mawuli School has 25 cases, ten have been moved to the isolation centre and we are waiting to see when they will recover,” he said.

    He highlighted other schools in the Volta region that have also recorded new cases.

    “The good thing like I said is that all of them are asymptomatic, only few have some have symptoms,” DR Kuma-Aboagye stated.

    There was one case at Mawuko Girls School who is on her 14th day hence is out of isolation.

    Bishop Herman College has recorded 17 cases which are in their eleventh day of isolation hence, have to spend 3 more days.

    Abutia and Anfoega Senior High Schools have two confirmed cases which are on day four of isolation.

    Dr Kuma-Aboagye noted that all positive cases are being isolated outside the campus.

    “Of the 49 cases, a significant number have recovered,” he said

    According to him, most of the regions have few cases, all of which are being isolated outside campus.

    However, there are 96 positive cases in the Greater Accra region out of which 73 have fully recovered.

    The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service assured that protocols have been put in place to check and contain the spread of Coronavirus in schools.

    “All, schools have been assigned to health facilities and health workers assigned to every school. The schools have their name, number and the District Director of Education,” he said.

    He was hopeful that the case cunt will reduce in the coming weeks.

    Final year Senior High students who were asked to return to school have started their final exams.

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • My daughter died from Meningitis and not coronavirus – Methodist Girls’ SHS father

    The father of a final year Methodist Girls’ Senior High School (SHS) student who died last Friday, July 17, 2020, has disclosed that his daughter lost her life to Meningitis.

    The final year SHS student died a few weeks after resuming school with other school mates to prepare for the final exams.

    A statement issued by the Ghana Education Service said the deceased was rushed to the Tetteh Quarshie hospital on Thursday, July 16, 2020, “when her friends detected that she was not well.”

    She was transferred to Koforidua Regional Hospital on Friday where she later died on Friday, July 17, 2020.

    The GES assured the family of its support in giving her a befitting burial.

    However, the father of the deceased, Alex Addo said medical experts have now concluded that she was afflicted and died from Meningitis.

    In an interview on Accra-based Joy FM, he said “The medical experts say it’s Meningitis. According to the school, it started on Thursday and Friday they took her to the hospital…It’s hard, it’s hard.”

     

    Source: Pulse Ghana

  • MEGHIS final year student dies

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) has confirm the death of a final year Senior High School (SHS) student at Methodist Girls High School located at Mamfe in the Eastern region.

    The final year SHS student died just a few weeks after resumption of academic work to prepare for the final exams.

    A statement from the Ghana Education Service indicated that the female student of Methodist Girls High School located at Mamfe in the Eastern region died from Acute Malaria.

    The statement said the student whose name was given as Cindy Aku Sika Addo was rushed to the Tetteh Quarshie hospital on Thursday, July 16 but was transferred to Koforidua Regional Hospital on Friday where she met her untimely death.

    The Ghana Education Service has assured the family of its support in giving her a befitting burial.

    This increases the number of deaths to three in just a space of two weeks.

    Read statement below

     

    Source: My News GH

  • Calm returns to Kpandai SHS after violent outburst by students

    Calm has returned to Kpandai Senior High School (SHS), in the Kpandai District of the Northern Region, after a violent disturbance on campus Wednesday night.

    A combined team of police and military personnel had to chase out rioting final year students of the school from campus to restore law and order.

    The students had pelted stones at some teachers and destroyed school property over seizure of their mobile phones by the school authorities.

    However, the Northern Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Education Service, Donald Kanzoni Awaala, told the Ghanaian Times yesterday that, all the students who fled the school have returned.

    He explained that, the Northern Regional Director of Education, Mr Edward K Azore was able to restore peace in the school, after meeting with all the stakeholders, and resolved the impasse between the students and the school authorities.

    The PRO said the regional director issued a stern warning to the students to obey all rules and regulations of the school, and urged the headmaster and his staff to ensure that peace prevailed in the school at all times.

    “The regional directorate will ensure safety of all students on campus, however, it will not condone with lawlessness,” Mr Azore was quoted as saying, as he entreated parents to ensure that their wards return to school.

    The regional PRO said the three police personnel who were injured during the rioting were responding to treatment.

     

     

  • Seven schools record 62 cases of COVID-19 in Accra Regional Education Director

    Seven schools in the Greater Accra Region have recorded 62 cases of COVID-19.

    Madam Monica Ankrah, the Greater Accra Regional Director of Education who spoke to the media during a disinfection exercise at the Accra Girls Senior High School on Thursday, July 16, 2020, indicated that more is being done to reduce the rate of infections in the schools.

    “Sometimes when we suspect a case, the impression that is created is that they are all positive cases. But by the grace of God, in the Greater Accra Region, we have 62 cases in seven schools and they have all recovered except about two. But we have given them all they need including sanitizers, nose masks, etc”.

    The disinfection exercise was undertaken by Zoomlion Ghana Limited in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

    Coordinator for the disinfection, Rev. Ebenezer Addae said the exercise is to make the school environment safe for teaching and learning activities.

    “What the Ministry has done is a lot because according to public health, the first thing you need to do when there is a reported case is to disinfect to be able to deactivate the virus. Each student and staff must also take his or her own responsibility”, he said.

    55 people, including students, tested positive for COVID-19 at the Accra Girls Senior High School after the Ghana Health Service (GHS) commenced a testing exercise at the school.

    According to a joint statement by the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Education Service (GES), the 55 tested positive out of 314 total tests done.

    “As at 13th July 2020, a total of 314 persons (student and staff) from the School have been tested. Out of these, 55 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 while 259 persons tested negative,” the statement said.

    Government had said, 110 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in some 34 Senior High Schools nationwide.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • I didnt campaign in Senior High Schools I visited Nana B

    The National Youth Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, has defended his decision to visit some Senior High Schools in the country despite a directive from the Ghana Education Service banning all such visits.

    Nana Boakye has come under fire after a photo of him interacting with some SHS students went viral.

    But speaking to journalists on the matter in Kumasi, Nana B denied any wrongdoing.

    He insisted that he visited the schools to monitor the registration exercise being held in the various Senior High School.

    He added that he was appropriately accredited to monitor the exercise by the Electoral Commission.

    “For the records, I never campaigned in any of the schools I visited. I visited these schools as an accredited party official and I received the official accreditation from the Electoral Commission. Indeed, all political parties obtained the official accreditation from the EC and some NDC members also visited the SHS campuses.”

    Background

    The Electoral Commission registered eligible students in senior high schools between July 10, 2020, and July 11, 2020.

    The Commission took the decision because SHS students are not allowed to go out of the premises of their schools.

    The opposition National Democratic Congress insisted that the exercise was illegal since the senior high schools were not gazetted for the registration but the EC was adamant.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • COVID-19: Council of PTAs calls for closure of schools, postponement of WASSCE

    The National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations of Ghana has called for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to be postponed.

    In a statement, it noted that because of COVID-19, the students in school are “psychologically unstable and therefore would not be of sound mind to write the WASSCE and BECE examinations and come out successfully.”

    It also wants all schools closed down “to avert further spreading of the coronavirus among our children and staff.”

    The council came to this conclusion after a National Executive Consultative meeting.

    Since schools reopened, there have been multiple cases of infection recorded in schools nationwide.

    The council said it had observed that the government had not ensured optimum safety conditions in schools and that there were still “lapses in implementation of the COVID-19 safety measures.”

    It noted that there was still overcrowding in schools, inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) despite assurances by the state when schools were set to open on June 22.

    The government promised that each student, teaching and non-teaching staff were to be provided with three pieces of reusable face masks.

    The council also said, “not enough health personnel are either stationed in or attached to many of the schools for routine surveillance due to the pandemic.”

    “More worrying is the fact that despite good counsel and encouragement, most parents insist their children should be brought home,” it added.

    These concerns have prompted the government to set up a committee to monitor the COVID-19 situation in Senior High Schools.

    The committee is made up of Dr. Anothony Nsiah Asare, the presidential Advisor on Health; Dr. Okoe Boye, the Deputy Minister of Information; Dr. Da Costa Aboagye, the Director Health Promotion Division at the Ghana Health Service; Dr Yaw Adu Twum, a Deputy Minister of Education and Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General Ghana Health Service.

    Find below the full statement

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Calm returns to KNUST SHS, Housemasters to be reposted

    Calm has returned to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Senior High School following student agitation caused by the death of their colleague.

    The final year Business student, Richard Leonard Sam, died last Tuesday, July 7, 2020, after two housemasters failed to attend to him when he fell ill over coronavirus fears.

    Ghana Education Service (GES) has interdicted the Headmistress of the school, Ms Felicia Asamoah Dankwaa, to allow for investigations.

    Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Ms Mary Owusu-Akyaw, has also been asked to take temporary responsibility for the administration of the school.

    Earlier the two housemasters were asked to step aside to allow for investigations.

    However, according to a report by state-owned Daily Graphic, the Ashanti Regional Directorate of Education has released the Senior Housemaster of the school, Mr Seth Owusu Ansah, and the Densu Housemaster, Mr Anthony Awotwe, to the Oforikrom Municipal Directorate of Education for reposting.

    According to the report on Friday, July 10, 2020, “calm had returned to the school with the students and teachers resuming academic work as was agreed the previous day.”

    The mother of Richard Leonard Sam her revealed that her son was an ulcer patient, and that she even tried visiting him on Sunday, July 5 but was turned away.

    “I was prevented from seeing my child on Sunday, just a day before the incident. The security men at the gate drove me away like chicken,” she said in her native Twi.

    The boy who had been suffering from severe stomach ache was left in the hands of colleague students for several hours without any move by the school authorities to get first aid administered on him, madam Comfort narrated on Angel102.9 FM on Wednesday.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Political parties advised against politicking in schools

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) on Friday advised political party representatives observing the voter registration of students not to use the campuses for partisan politics.

    A statement signed by Mrs Cassandra Twum Ampofo, the Head of Public Relations, GES, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Friday, directed schools to put in place measures to ensure strict compliance with coronavirus health and safety protocols and asked political parties and observers to respect the measures.

    It further charged all heads of schools under the supervision of regional and district directors to ensure that necessary arrangements were put in place for the smooth take-off of the exercise.

    The Electoral Commission (EC) upon request from GES on Thursday, July 9, announced in a statement that it would embark on a two-day registration exercise for all eligible Senior High School and Technical and Vocational Education Training students across the country.

    The two-day exercise started on Friday, July 10, and would end on Saturday, July 11, 2020.

    The exercise is taking place in all schools that did not have polling stations. The statement said additional days would be announced when necessary to ensure that no one was left out.

     

    Source: GNA

  • Schools were reopened for voter registration not exams – NDC claims

    The National Democratic Congress has claimed that government’s purpose for making all final year students resume classes was purely on political benefits.

    Addressing the media today at the party’s headquarters in Accra, the NDC claimed the purpose of the resumption was for the government to assemble students for the ongoing voters registration by the Electoral Commission.

    Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Director of Elections for the NDC reiterated per the alleged comments by Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Information that there might be a possible lockdown after the registration, it confirms the government’s intentions.

    “It has come to light the decision by government to send final year and Gold track students to school had nothing to do with preparation towards examination but the hidden agenda was to assemble them for registration. We have had the minister of information giving hint that there could be a partial lockdown anytime soon after the registration” He said

    He continued “so what is this whole agenda of asking student to go back to school about? Send them back to school under the guise of writing examination. The student are virtually hostages in the schools because their parents are not allowed to them.”

    He sent a message of caution to the Electoral Commission, that going ahead to register SHS students without gazetting the designated polling center demonstrate it’s illegality.

    The party is urging them to operate within its own laws and mandate as outlined in C1 91.

    “We reiterate our position that the EC must at all times operate within its laws. To this end, we remind that the EC according to C.I 91 they are required to gazette a designated polling center for 21 days. In the absence of that, any so called registration center be it in a school or elsewhere is illegal.

    Meanwhile, the EC has begun a 2 days registration exercise for all eligible SHS students across the country.

    According to EC, this registration exercise will take place in all Senior High schools that do not have polling stations within the schools.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Voter Registration: No partisan politics in SHSs EC warns party agents

    The Ghana Education Service(GES) has advised party agents to desist from using second cycle institutions as grounds for partisan politicking, while they monitor ongoing voter registration exercise in second-cycle institutions.

    Registration of qualified Senior High School students by the Electoral Commission is ongoing on SHS campuses across the country.

    A statement by the Ghana Education Service IGES) has thus directed all Heads of Schools under the supervision of Regional and District Directors to ensure that the necessary arrangements are put in place for the smooth take off of the exercise.

    The statement further directed schools to put in measures to ensure strict compliance with the COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

     

    Source: Kasapa FM

  • Njuasco students rely on teachers, mates as guarantors to register

    Several students of the New Juaben Senior High School (NJUASCO) had to rely on mates and teachers to go through the registration process.

    The students had no passport nor Ghana Cards, which are the requisite documents for registration.

    A number of the final-year students had queued on seats, guided by their teachers, to go through the process.

    Registration is being done for those who are 18, but according to classes to avoid overcrowding at the centre.

    For those who do not have the required documents, they have to wait for their mates who have Ghana Cards to go through the process before they serve as guarantors for them to also register.

    Hand hygiene facilities have been made available and other Covid-19 protocols are observed at the centre.

    About 30 applicants comprising students and teachers had gone through the exercise at the time of filling this report.

    Students who hailed from Koforidua have been informed to choose polling centres close by.

    Those who reside outside Koforidua would be placed at Atekyem Number One Polling Station before they can have the opportunity to transfer their vote at the appropriate time.

     

    Source: 3 News

  • Conduct mass testing in schools with COVID-19 cases GNAT to government

    The Ghana National Association of Teachers expects mass testing in schools that have recorded cases of COVID-19.

    Philippa Larsen, the GNAT President, said the government had “promised” that such mass testing would be in order in the event of recorded cases.

    Accra Girls SHS, Konongo Wesley SHS and Mfanstiman Girls SHS are among the schools with confirmed cases of the virus.

    “We were informed that anytime there is the information of a confirmed case in a particular school, students and staff of the school will go through the testing,” she recounted on the Citi Breakfast Show.

    GNAT, along with other teacher unions and observers, had initially proposed mass testing before school resumed on June 22.

    But the government has consistently argued that mass testing is not feasible.

    With the recorded cases, however, Ms. Larsen said: “We expect that the schools that have recorded cases should have their staff and students go through the testing.”

    Inadequate of PPE

    One of the main challenges GNAT has observed has been the inadequate supply of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).

    The government assured that each student, teaching and non-teaching staff will be provided with three pieces of reusable face masks.

    Two of these were to be ready within two weeks of schools resuming.

    But Ms. Larsen noted that schools were still lacking PPE, as well as other accoutrements like thermometer guns, sanitizers etc.

    “We are not too happy about the fact that schools have not received the full complement of their logistics,” she said.

    Eighteen thousand Veronica Buckets, 800,000 pieces of 200-millilitre sanitisers, 36,000 rolls of tissue paper, 36,000 gallons of liquid soap and 7,200 thermometer guns were supposed to be supplied to the schools.

    Despite the challenges, the GNAT president acknowledged that schools were largely adhering safety protocols.

    “Work is going on in the schools; the way they have arranged their beds and all. I visited some of the dormitories and I was impressed, to be honest with you.”

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • GES warns party agents as registration begins in SHSs

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) has asked political party agents assigned to senior high schools where the new voter registration is going to take place to conduct themselves according to law.

    The Service warned that the schools cannot be used as a place for partisan politicking.

    These were contained in a statement issued on Friday, July 10 as the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) sets up registration centres in all senior high schools.

    The EC at an emergency meeting of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) decided to send registration officials to senior high schools to register students who have turned 18 years and above and eligible to vote.

    The exercise will take two days Friday and Saturday.

    The EC directed political parties to assign agents to schools where registration centres will be set up.

    But in its statement signed by Head of Public Relations Unit Cassandra Twum Ampofo, the GES noted that all heads of schools under the supervision of regional and district directors of education have been directed to ensure that necessary arrangements are made for a smooth exercise.

    “The schools have been directed to put in measures to ensure strict compliance with the Covid-19 health and safety protocols and it is the expectation of management of GES that officials of Electoral Commission and the political party representatives, as well as any observer groups present, will do same during the period.”

    The new registration of eligible voters began nationwide on Tuesday, June 30.

    It is scheduled to end on Thursday, August 6.

     

    Source: 3 News

  • Mpraeso SHS authorities await results of nine students in COVID-19 isolation

    School authorities at the Mpraeso Senior High School in the Eastern Region are awaiting results of some nine students believed to have contracted COVID-19.

    Even though the said students have been identified and isolated, the development has thrown the student populace into a state of fear and apprehension.

    “They have been isolated from the rest of the students and their samples have been taken [as of Tuesday]. All the samples were sent to Accra for confirmation,” the Kwahu South Director of Education, Ofosu Kwakye, said.

    “We are waiting for the lab results to come so we know the situation,” he added.

    Mr Kwakye also added that measures have been taken to ensure the rest of the students are safe.

    “Their food has been enhanced. We give them fruits and other things as we await the results,” he said.

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) are currently tracing contacts of infected persons in other schools.

    The Accra Girls SHS and the Konongo Wesley SHS are among the schools with confirmed cases of the virus.

    The GES has however appealed for calm among parents and assured that officials are working to ensure the safety of their wards.

    SOURCE: ABC News

  • Okoe Boye, Nsiah Asare, others on committee tasked to monitor enforcement of COVID-19 protocols in schools

    The President, Nana Akufo-Addo has formed a five-member coronavirus sub-committee to monitor the enforcement of coronavirus safety protocols in schools nationwide.

    The committee members comprise of Dr. Anothony Nsiah Asare Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Okoe Boye- Deputy Minister of Information, Dr. Da Costa Aboagye Director Health Promotion Division, Ghana Health Service, Dr Yaw Adu Twum Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Patrick Kuma- Aboagye, Director General Ghana Health Service.

    This was disclosed by the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah at a press on Thursday in Accra.
    He said the Committee will work to address gaps in the enforcement of the protocols on campuses nationwide.

    According to him, the government continues to monitor the safety protocols in schools.

    He stated that a dedicated desk has been created at the Coronavirus Call Centres for parents to all and find out details about issues in their wards schools, particularly issues relating to suspected cases of coronavirus.

    He said parents can call hotline 311 and will have dedicated staff at the centre responding to their queries.
    It comes after news of Coronavirus outbreak at the Accra Girls Senior High School.

    Some six students, a teacher and a spouse, tested positive at Accra Girls Senior High School.

    A student at the KNUST SHS reportedly died after he complained of stomach ache but was allegedly abandoned by teachers and school staff due to coronavirus fears.

    Meanwhile, the Minister says Government acknowledges efforts being made by the Electoral Commission and the Security Agencies to ensure the compliance of Coronavirus safety etiquette.

    However, he called on citizens have a role to play in helping to contain the spread of Coronavirus.

    The Minister appealed to citizens and residents to ensure social distancing and compliance with other COVID-19 protocols. He said for the cumulative case count to reduce, residents and citizens have to adhere to the protocols.

    “We cannot eat our cake and have it,” he said.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Ada Sec Tech records seven cases of coronavirus

    Seven students of the Ada Senior High Technical School (ASTECH) at Sege in the Greater Accra Region, have tested positive to COVID-19, two weeks after school reopened.

    Mr Adzoteye Lawer Akrofi, Ada West District Chief Executive, confirming this to the Ghana News Agency, said the first positive case recorded in the school was a female who was fell sick some few days after school reopened.

    Mr Akrofi indicated that additional six were confirmed positive after her contacts were traced, adding that more samples had been taken from both students and staff for testing.

    He said the seven infected students were currently in isolation and receiving treatment out of campus, adding that measures had been put in place to curb COVID-19 spread in the school saying “there is no cause for alarm”.

    According to the DCE, security had been beefed up in the school to ensure the strict adherence to social distancing and other Covid19 safety protocols amongst students, teaching and non-teaching staff.

    Meanwhile, when GNA visited the school premises on Wednesday, students were seen in groups with some playing cards without their face masks while others were bare chested.

    In the early hours of Thursday July 9, some agitated parents were seen on the school premises demanding the release of their wards but were calmed down by school authorities.

    A parent who seen crying uncontrollably over the refusal of the school’s management to allow her pick her ward home.

    “I want my daughter to stop schooling here because I can’t let her die just like that, “she said.

    Some of the students told GNA that the number of those infected could be higher that the official number.

     

    Source: GNA

  • 2 students isolated, over 260 contacts exposed to Wesley High Coronavirus

    Over 260 persons have been identified as contacts who got close to a student who tested positive for Covid-19 at the Konongo Wesley High School in the Ashanti Region.

    Municipal Chief Executive for Asante Akyem Central, Susan Akomea (Hon) said two other students were held in isolation with their samples taken for testing.

    “As we speak over 260 samples have been sent for testing… Obviously samples of his colleagues in the classroom, dormitories and close teachers needed to be tested,” the Municipal Chief Executive explained in an interview with Virgin City Radio.

    COVID-19 at Konongo Wesley High

    The student was earlier rushed to the Konongo Government Hospital after showing symptoms of the virus, but was diagnosed with malaria and asked to return home.

    He is reported to have left on his own to travel from Konongo to Kumasi only to find out that he is COVID-19 positive.

    There were concerns earlier that the student, who has since not been isolated, could put the lives of his siblings at risk as samples of his mother, have already been sent for testing.

    Health officials and school authorities have already been blamed for not handling the issue properly as calls for a shutdown of the school begin to gather momentum.

    MCE calls for calm

    Reacting to the development, Mrs. Akomea ruled out a possible closure of the school but cautioned residents to adhere to safety protocols outlined by the government.

    “Right now the school has two holding centers,” she told Dailymailgh.com, adding, “We are not closing down the school at the moment, it is possible the victim may have carried the disease from home. We should not be too alarmed, we have to adhere to the safety protocols, in this situation school children are at risk.”

     

    Source: Daily Mail

  • Voter Registration: Muntaka alleges busing of SHS students to registration centres

    Member of Parliament for Asawase, Mohammed-Muntaka Mubarak has alleged busing of final year and form two Gold Track Senior High Students to register in the ongoing voter registration exercise in his constituency.

    In a letter written to the Ghana Education Service (GES), the legislator alleges that there have been two separate incidences of students being bused to registration centres to register even though they do not hail from the Asawase constituency.

    The Asawase legislator, in the letter, is calling for the intervention of the GES to stop any of such incidents from happening again.

    He also accused the teachers and students who have taken part in the alleged act of breaking the Representation of People Law 1993 PNDCL 284. He also raised concerns about the risk of exposing the students to COVID-19.

    In the letter, he indicates that “about thirty students of the Asanteman Senior High School were bused to two polling centres at Asabi-a suburb of the Asokore Manpong Municipal which makes up the Asawase Constituency. They were identified as not living, residing or hailing from any of the Asokore Manpong Municipal (Asawase Constituency) towns or communities and for that matter the Asawase Constituency.”

    He also added that the students accused one Mr Bismark Fordjour (AKA Anadwo) of busing them to the registration centre.

    The letter also indicated that as part of efforts to prevent the students from getting lynched, they handed them over to the Asokore Manpong District Police Command.

    According to Muntaka Mubarak, “further checks also revealed that Bismark Fordjour is a tutor at the Asanteman Senior High School.”

     

    The letter also alleged that some students of the Osei Kyeretwei Secondary School at Parkuso, some of which are minors, were bused to some polling stations to register even though they do not reside in the area.

    Media reports and earlier allegations

    Seven out of twenty-one final year students of Asanteman Senior High school allegedly bused by a tutor Bismark Okyere to register in the Asawase Constituency were arrested on Friday, July 03, 2020.

    One student was first arrested when he was spotted in a queue attempting to register.

    The student upon sensing danger following the anger of the NDC supporters at the registration centre attempted to run but luck eluded him when he was apprehended.

    The timely intervention of the Incumbent MP for the constituency Muntaka Mohammed halted attempts by supporters of the NDC to attack him.

    The student then confessed he was bused to the registration centre by his teacher with 20 other final year students.

    He quickly pointed 6 other students who were already in the queue to register. They were also arrested.

    Member of Parliament for Asawase, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak had earlier vowed to fight and prevent what he terms as a plot by his opponents to bus non-residents into the constituency to register for voters ID.

    He told the media that his team is fully aware of the conspiracy, stressing that perpetrators will have themselves to blame.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Committee tasked to look into COVID-19 challenges in schools

    The government has set up a committee to look into health-related incidents in Senior High Schools.

    This follows reports of COVID-19 infections in schools and the death of a final-year student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Senior High School from health complications and alleged negligence.

    The committee is to monitor schools over the next eight weeks as most Senior High School students prepare for the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).

    Schools have been back in session since June 22 after initially being shut down for safety concerns.

    Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, July 9, 2020, the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said the committee will also “oversee the operations of the regional monitoring teams which are already in place across the various regions.”

    “The president has tasked a subcommittee of the COVID-19 Presidential taskforce to be set up to quickly address challenges that may arise in the next eight weeks while final year students are in school.”

    The committee is to also “ensure that guidelines of campus quarantine are strictly enforced and any gaps swiftly addressed where incidents are suspected.”

    For anxious parents, the Minister said the COVID-19 information centre was being given additional persons to cater to them.

    The 311 has mainly served as a helpline for reporting suspected cases and receiving feedback from health workers.

    “So if you are a parent and you are reading a story online and you are hearing something, we encourage you to call 311 from tomorrow. Dedicated officers are being put there to help connect parents to the schools to validate whether some of the reports are true,” Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said.

    This is to discourage parents from gathering at schools as was the case at Accra Girls Senior High School after reports of COVID-19 infection.

    Accra Girls SHS, Konongo Wesley SHS and Mfanstiman Girls SHS are among the schools with confirmed cases of the virus.

    Possible shutdown of schools

    The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) is concerned about the increasing negative reports and expects schools to shut down if the situation does not improve.

    In a statement, the group warned that the shutdown of the schools “will be inevitable” on the current trajectory.

    It said “chaotic incidences” were putting students “in great fear and danger”.

    The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) President, Angel Carbonu, however, wants the government to concede defeat and shut down schools before the situation worsens.

    “From where I sit now before we get to a point where we cannot control, I think we should bite the bullet and close down the schools. That is my personal opinion. The way things are going, I can assure you the story is not looking too pleasant,” he said.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • “Im praying for you” Naana Opoku-Agyemang tells parents, students

    Running mate of John Mahama in the 2020 polls, Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang has sympathised with parents who have their wards in schools despite the alleged increasing suspected cases of Coronavirus.

    The Former Education Minister also expressed her concern for the safety of teachers and non-teaching staff who educational institutional who have been exposed to higher risk of contracting the virus.

    In a tweet on Thursday, she wrote that she is worried about the situation and is “praying for school children, teachers, non-teachers and school admins.”

     

    “As a mother and educationist, my thoughts are with parents/guardians who are concerned about their children in school at this time. I am praying for school children, teachers, non-teachers and school admins. Please observe COVID19 prevention measures to StopTheSpread ImWithHer” Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang tweeted.

    Her remarks follow recent reported cases of COVID-19 outbreak in some Senior High Schools and concerns expressed by parents and guardians about the safety of their wards.

    On July 4, it was reported that about six students of the Accra Girls Senior High School have tested positive for the virus.

    This led to some parents of the students storming the school premises, demanding the release of the children.

    It took effort from law enforcement agencies to restore calm at the school premises.

     

    Also, one student is said to have tested positive virus at the Wesley Senior High School at Konongo in the Ashanti Region.

    Universities, Senior High Schools and Junior High Schools were reopened one week apart, in a progressive manner, as part of measures by government to ease some restrictions it imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Strict protocols have been established and were prerequisite for schools to meet before reopening.

    Face masks have been provided to all students, teachers and school authorities, veronica buckets and hand washing facilities have also been provided and social distancing have been made mandatory to reduce the risk of outbreak in schools.

     

    Source: ABC News 

  • Muntaka petitions GES over busing of students to voter registration centres by teachers

    Asawase MP Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka has petitioned the Ghana Education Service (GES) over alleged busing of students to voter registration centres in his constituency.

    In his letter to the Director-General of Education, the Minority Chief Whip said some 30 form two and three students of Asanteman SHS who were bused to the polling station do not hail from or reside in the community.

    Some of the students, he noted were arrested and handed over to the police after they were saved from lynching by angry residents.

    Even more worrying for the firebrand MP is the fact that the students were bused by their teacher, one Mr Bismark Fordjour.

    “It is, however, important to note that the teacher could not be reached via phone contacts after several attempts,” Mr Muntaka said.

    The MP is worried that despite government preventing parents from visiting their wards as restrictions on educational activities are being lifted, the teachers are moving the same students out of school for political interest.

    He wants the Director-General of GES, Prof  Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa to cause an investigation into the matter.

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • Shutdown of schools inevitable if chaotic incidences continue GNECC warns

    The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) expects Senior High Schools to shut down if recent health-related incidents continue.

    In a statement, the group warned that if “the unfortunate happenings continue the close down of the schools will be inevitable.”

    GNECC highlighted the “chaotic incidences which put the students in great fear and danger” following the reopening of schools after an initial shutdown because of the virus.

    The group is responding to the recent COVID-19 infections in schools and resulting agitations.

    At the Accra Girls Senior High School, for example, parents stormed the premises demanding to take their wards home after news of the infections in the school. 

    The students also protested demanding to be allowed to go home.

    Also, a final-year student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Senior High School died after health complications being left unattended to for hours.

    Students of that school demonstrated and accused the school administration of negligence claiming the headmistress, who has since been interdicted, did not act because of fears the student had COVID-19.

    For the KNUST SHS incident, GNECC called for “an immediate commencement of investigation into circumstances leading to the death.”

    It wants to “ensure that anyone found culpable face the full rigors of the law.”

    GNECC also said the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service (GES) “must liaise with the Ministry of Health (MoH) to put in place a health desk in all senior high schools to provide medical care to students in emergencies before sending them to health facilities where necessary.”

    Its statement also highlighted the need for the provision of the necessary protective accessories like sanitizers, gloves, soap and veronica buckets to all schools “to ensure that staff and students are well protected.”

    GES urges calm

    Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service has taken noted of the incidents and urged calm among parents.

    It assured that officials are working to ensure the safety of their wards.

    “We at the Ghana Education Service want to assure parents; it is understanding that parents will want to rush in for their wards but we believe that it will be the best decision to take.”

    The Ashanti Regional Director of the GES, Mary Owusu Achiaw, also indicated that the death at KNUST was going to be probed.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • JHS students in Upper West Akim District advised to study hard

    Mr Eugene Sackey, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper West Akim District, has advised Junior High School (JSS) students in the area to learn hard to pass their examinations to benefit from the Free Senior High Senior (SHS) programme.

    “It is only when you pass the examination that you can partake in the free SHS programme rolled out by the Akufo-Addo government for all Ghanaian children,” he said.

    He, therefore, urged the final year students to concentrate on their studies and not to indulge in activities that would cut short their schooling and waste the investments spent on their education.

    Mr Sackey gave the advice when he led a team from his outfit to visit Junior High schools in the district on the second day of arrival of the third-year students to welcome them back to school.

    He also encouraged them to concentrate on their studies and and observe the COVID-19 protocol strictly to protect themselves to prevent them from becoming victims of the deadly disease.

    The district has 64 JHS School made up of 45 Public and 19 Private and a survey conducted indicated that about 80 percent of final year students had reported to continue with their academic works.

    There are Veronica buckets with water, liquid soap and tissue papers placed at vantage points in all the schools, while the students wore nose masks and their temperature taken on daily basis.

    The DCE further urged the students to observe the physical distancing protocol and desist from sharing nose masks with their mates to avoid contracting the virus and it spreading.

    “You are to report to the teachers when you face any difficulty and they will inform my office for redress to enable you to study without any hindrances,” he advised.

    Later in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, some of the students expressed delight and gratefulness for their return to school to study and write their examination.

    They said they will adhere to the protocols to help protect themselves from the coronavirus and also study to pass well.

     

    Source: GNA

  • Close down schools before COVID-19 situation gets out of hand Carbonu

    The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) says COVID-19 infections in schools vindicates their caution to government prior to the reopening schools in the country.

    NAGRAT and other bodies are on record to have advised against the reopening of schools, saying that it will lead to a spread of the virus.

    Speaking on Eyewitness News, President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu said the current development at the Accra Girls Senior High School raises fears of what might be going on in other schools as well.

    “It sounds like what we foresaw is, unfortunately, coming to bear. The fact of the matter is that Accra Girls is not the only Senior High School in this country, they do not operate in isolation and the students do not come from isolated geographical entities so only God knows what the situation may be in other Senior High Schools.”

    He also called on government to close down schools again before the situation gets out of control.

    “From where I sit now, before we get to a point where we cannot control, I think we should bite the bullet and close down the schools. That is my personal opinion. The way things are going, I can assure you the story is not looking too pleasant,” he added.

    Final year SHS and Form Two Gold Track students returned to school following the directive of President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo that schools should reopen to final year students to enable them write their exit exams.

    Eight COVID-19 cases have been recorded at the Accra Girls Senior High School (AGISS).

    On Monday, July 06, 2020, parents stormed the Accra Girls Senior High School to pick up their wards following the development.

    But government has called for calm.

    The Ghana Health Service and Ghana Education Service have deployed a joint team to assess COVID-19 situation in the various Senior High Schools.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • 2020 WASSCE begins on August 3 for all WAEC member countries

    The West African Examination Council (WAEC) will on August 3 commence the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for all five English-speaking West African countries.

    This was revealed by the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof. Kwasi Opoku Amankwah in an interview monitored by ABC News.

    Prior to the changes in directive, WAEC was supposed to conduct an independent WASSCE for Ghanaian candidates this year as a result of the outbreak of the coronavirus, which led to the closure of schools in the other WAEC member countries.

    However, that has been changed and the exams will now be conducted in all five countries; that is Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Gambia.

    According to Prof. Amankwa, this is a step in a right direction because government was thinking of how to name the independent exams Ghana would conduct and also feared the troubles that might emanate if other member countries accuse WAEC of setting easy questions for Ghanaian students.

    However, that fear has been allayed since all member countries will now be writing the same exams.

    He noted that, “the whole West Africa, I mean the 5-member countries have bought into our plan so now all five countries will do the WAEC exams like we used to. The exams will start on the 3rd of August. So we thank the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh for making this fruitful.

    WAEC is therefore set to release a fresh timetable for the 2020 WASSCE which will start from August 3 to September 5, 2020.

    Source: ABC News

  • Parents troop Accra Girls SHS to withdraw wards after 6 students tested positive for Covid-19

    There is heavy security presence at the Accra Girls Senior High School after parents began trooping there to withdraw their wards.

    This follows reports that the school has recorded some cases of coronavirus nearly a week after the school reopened for final year students.

    Some parents successfully withdrew their wards from the institution over the weekend.

    Speaking on Beyond the Lockdown, JoyNews reporter Maxwell Agbaba stated that one parent said their ward was asthmatic and could not risk having her catching the virus.

    Many more parents have returned to Accra Girls SHS, to take their kids from the school amid fears their wards may be in danger of getting infected.

    According to the reporter the parents are unwilling to leave without their wards behind as they cannot guarantee what will happen to them.

    The presence of heavy security has halted classroom activities as students are also requesting to be taken home.

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • Darkness at Diabene SHS sparks student protest

    Final year and second-year Gold Track students of Diabene Senior High and Technical School in Takoradi went on rampage Saturday night after a female student collapsed.

    It is unclear what might have caused the fainting of the students but her mates fear it may be as a result of spiritual attack.

    According to them, authorities have turned a deaf ear to their calls for an improvement in the lighting at their hostel.

    The second-year students complained that they have been experiencing spiritual attacks, which has resulted in many of them collapsing more often than not.

    The confusion on Saturday night saw parents trooping to the school to take their wards home.

    In the midst of the confusion, the Covid-19 precautionary measures were ignored.

    The authorities at the school are yet to comment on the matter.

     

    Source: 3 News

  • 30 Senior High Schools in Ghana with beautiful entrances

    Second cycle education is important in people’s life due to how the experiences and skills obtain from there tend to shape the person’s life. As such most Senior High School in Ghana have nice environment that contribute in making teaching and learning effective.

    Most SHS has nice entrances that stuns people the moment they set their eyes on and as a matter of fact there have been some renovations with the entrances of some schools by their old students.

    Since the entrance is the first place to see when one decide to visit a school, in this case there is the need to make it attractive and look nice. This the reason for renovation by some old students. It also give the school a different look from the outside. Here are 30 SHS with amazing and nice entrance.

    Methodist Girls Senior High School entrance.

    Asankragwa Senior High School.

    Winneba Senior High School.

    Tema Senior High School.

    Saint John’s Senior High School at Sekondi.

    Mawuko Girls Senior High School at Volta region.

    Awudome Senior High School.

    Effiduase Senior High School.

    Konongo Odumase Senior High School.

    Adanwomase Senior High School.

    Kumasi Academy Senior High School.

    Barekese Senior High School.

    Ola Senior High School at Ho in the Volta region.

    Pope John’s Senior High School.

    Wesley Grammar Senior High School.

    Osei Tutu Senior High School.

    Koforidua Senior Technical School.

    St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School.

    Ahantaman Girl’s Senior High School at Western Region.

    Presbyterian Boys Senior High School at Accra.Legon Presec.

    Mawuli Senior High School.

    Archbishop Porter Girls Senior High School.

    Prempeh College in Kumasi.

    ST. Peters Senior High School at Akwatia- Kwahu.

    T.I Ahmadiyya Senior High School.

    Mfantsiman Girls’ Senior High School, Saltpond.

    Opoku Ware Senior High School.

    Mfantsipim Senior High School.

    Accra Academy Senior High School.

    Adisadel College in Cape Coast.

    Which of these have the most beautiful entrance?

    Source: opera.com

  • Sacked Adiembra SHS students to be recalled Headmistress

    Stakeholders of the Adiembra Senior High School in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis in the Western Region after a meeting have agreed that the 16 sacked students should be recalled with their parents and be made to sign an undertaking for good behaviour in order to complete their session.

    Rev. Mrs. Elizabeth Akuoku, Metro Director of Education who made this known exclusively to GhanaWeb on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, explained that some students after reporting to the school went out but were cautioned because it was their first offence since reporting to school.

    The whole school was, therefore, cautioned against going out following the safety measures to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic while in school.

    However, some students later went to the rails despite the earlier caution and so some teachers were dispatched to go and return them but the students fled upon seeing the teachers.

    She said a roll call was then conducted after the morning prep and again in the afternoon so it was realised that some recalcitrant students had not returned to school.

    Against this backdrop, they were sacked later and while on their way, they met some reporters and told a lie.

    She debunked the assertion that students have not had access to potable water since reopening, hence their decision to fetch some at a standing pipe located a few metres from campus and queried, “why were they standing on the streets with their belongings instead of buckets if indeed they were going to fetch water as they claimed?”

    Rev. Mrs Akuoku stated explicitly that no female student has been allowed to go outside the campus for water and other necessities as purported.

    She, therefore, assured parents of the safety of their wards while on campus and called on them to advise their wards to be obedient to all the precautionary measures and all the facilities provided for a mutual benefit.

    Sources said before the President announced the indefinite closure of all schools on Monday, March 16, as part of the COVID-19 containment measures, they had received twenty of the Veronica buckets and later had forty from the Government.

    On the issue of accommodation, the school has a dormitory capacity of 900 but expects to receive about 1,498 of Form 2 Gold Track and final year students.

    However, due to the accommodation deficit, some classrooms have been converted into dormitories to augment the existing ones so as to meet the required social distancing protocol.

    Meanwhile, a dormitory has a maximum of 36 students now in a room with the ICT Block also being assigned as a holding centre should one show any symptoms of the disease while the taps were flowing with water.

    Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis leads in Coronavirus positive cases in the Western Region with over 500 cases.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Some JHS students, teachers complain over delay of PPEs in Western Region

    Some Junior High School students and teachers in the Western Region have expressed their unhappiness over the delay of the delivery of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s) by the government.

    All Junior High Schools and Senior High Schools in the country were asked to close down on March 16, 2020, in the wake of Coronavirus pandemic.

    But, President Akufo-Addo three weeks ago directed these schools to resume learning activities on Monday, 29, 2020 to prepare the final year students to write their exit exams.

    As a result, President Akufo-Addo promised to give three nose masks each to non-teaching and teaching staff; Veronica buckets, hand sanitizers, liquid soaps, thermometer guns, tissue papers among others to the schools.

    GhanaWeb on Monday, June 29, visited some Junior High Schools in the Jomoro Municipality, Nzema East Municipality, Ellembelle District, Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, and Ahanta West Municipality to monitor the resumption

    of basic schools.

    It was revealed that none of the schools visited had been provided any PPEs. It was observed during the visit that some students and teachers were seen without face masks.

    GhanaWeb also observed that some schools have managed to station some Veronica buckets at strategic places to be used by the students and teachers to wash their hands.

    At one of the schools visited, final year students were asked to go home before 1 pm due to the unavailability of PPEs.

    Speaking to some students on condition of anonymity, they said they were told that the government was going to give them nose masks so they came to school without one.

    “We were told that government is going to give us nose masks so we didn’t ask our parents to buy some for us but when we got to the school the story was different. We are now afraid. We tried to go home and buy some but we were not allowed to go”, they expressed their grievances.

    They, therefore, appealed to the government to speed up the process and provide them the nose masks and other preventive items.

    Some teachers who also spoke on the condition of anonymity said the delay of the PPEs promised by the government has affected their activities.

    “We are not safe so we are appealing to government to bring the items as soon as possible so that we can give it to our students and use some to protect ourselves,” they pleaded.

    In a telephone conversation, the Western Regional Director of Education, Mr. Dankwa Akufo-Addo said the PPEs are yet to be received by the Regional Directorate for onward distribution as soon as possible.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Coronavirus: Face masks in short supply at SHSs at Ellembelle

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as part of measures to contain the spread of coronavirus in Senior High School’s, announced that all students will be given 3 facemasks upon resumption on Monday, June 22, 2020.

    The president in his 12th address indicated that Veronica buckets, sanitizers, thermometer guns, tissues, and liquid soaps will be presented to all secondary schools across the country.

    But a visit to all five public Senior High Schools in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region on Thursday, June 25, 2020, and on Friday, June 26, 2020, to monitor the situation on the grounds, our Correspondent was told by the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area that so far each student has been given two nose masks instead of three.

    The DCE, Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh explaining why the number has reduced to students at Nkroful Agricultural Senior High School (NASS) said, the consignment given to the Assembly was not enough for each student to be given three.

    Hence all students will be given two face masks instead of three. He, therefore, promised that rest of the face masks would be given later.

    “…So each student by the government directive is supposed to get three nose masks but the consignment we received we will give you two, the third one will come so if the headmaster gives you two don’t say the headmaster is hoarding them and these nose masks are from the central government and not the Assembly.

    Every school that I have gone, I see that students wearing nose masks so add these nose masks to what your parents provided and wash them every day,” he said.

    He also advised the students to take their studies seriously and observe all the protocols to avoid contracting and spreading the Coronavirus.

    “Today we are giving you (NASS) 20 Veronica buckets and we will add the 10 Veronica buckets later, we will give each student a bottle of sanitizer, the school will get thermometer guns, liquid soaps and tissues”, he said.

    Meanwhile, Headmaster of the school, Nkroful Agricultural Senior High declined to GhanaWeb, on the basis that the government has ordered heads of schools not to engage the media.

    “Please I can’t speak to the media because I have a text message on my phone and it is from Ghana Education Service that we the Heads of Senior High Schools should not speak to the media”

    The headmaster, therefore, directed our Correspondent to the District Education Director of the area for further media encounter.

    However, as of today, Monday, June 29, 2020, the government has not supplied the rest of nose masks to the students in the Ellembelle District.

    These schools are; Nkroful Agricultural Senior High, Bonzo Kaku Senior High, Esiama Secondary and Technical School, Kikam Technical Institute, and Kamgbunli Islamic Senior High School.

    President Akufo-Addo announced the indefinite closure of all schools, effective Monday, March 16, and with a ban on mass gathering as part of the COVID-19 containment measures.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • No case of coronavirus at NOBISCO

    Some teachers at the Northern School of Business located in Tamale on Thursday dispelled social media posts that suggested that two students of the school had tested positive for COVID-19.

    The teachers, who did not want to be named, told the GNA in Tamale that all their final year students, who arrived at the school so far, had not shown any signs of the disease and none of them had also been tested for the disease. They, therefore, urged members of the public to disregard the social media posts, saying they were not true.

    There were social media posts on Wednesday, which suggested that two students of NOBISCO tested positive for COVID-19, a situation, which got some people alarmed.

    Meanwhile, as at Wednesday, June 24, the total COVID-19 case count of the region stood at 95 with 61 recoveries and six deaths.

     

    Source: GNA