Some private schools in the capital Accra, have expressed worry over delays in government’s own promise to support them with personal protective equipment’s (PPEs). While others have confirmed to have received nose masks, veronica buckets and soap, others say they are hoping to receive theirs before school resume on Monday, January 18, 2021.
At around 12noon when the Republic Press visited the Trinity Lutheran Church School, Kanda, the security ensured that everyone entering had their nose masks on but did not check temperature or insisted that anyone washes his or her hand before entering the school.
Preparations were on-going to ensure safety of the students. Classes were being cleaned, chairs re-arranged to ensure physical distancing among others.
The assistant executive manager of the Lutheran School, Mr. Dennis Adu-Twum said “we have been told we will get support from government but we haven’t received any yet but we’ve had disinfection in our entire classroom but for the PPEs we have not received it yet. We are looking forward to receiving them. We have just tomorrow (Friday January 15, 202). We will be resuming on Monday January, 18, 2021. On the part of the school, we have veronica buckets for all our classrooms, we also have nose mask for the children but we are advising parents to get one for their children. Each class will have an alcohol based hand sanitizer on the teacher’s table, but before they come in, they will have their hand sanitized, and temperatures taken.”
Responding to concerns by many as to when schools would ensure safety of the pre-school children, Mr. Adu-Twum said “we have put measures in place to ensure that each child is checked after break and whiles at break, teachers are tasked to monitor all the children and take the necessary actions if the need be.”
As a way of ensuring physical distancing, the capacity of each class has been reduced. From primary to the junior high level, a class which used to have thirty-five students will now have thirty.
At the pre-nursery school level, the capacity of the class has been reduced from twenty-five to fifteen. Pre-school children would now have only twenty instead of the usual twenty-five.
At the Aggrey Memorial international school, Kanda, the Republic Press can report that no preparation has been done at the time of visit. Chairs were not properly arranged, most classes locked. Net were dusty indicating that no preparations have started yet.
At cantonments, Morning Star School has confirmed receiving nose masks, veronica buckets and soap from the government. The school has also indicated that they would fully resume on Monday, January 18, 2021.
