The National President of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools, Dr. Domasus Tuurosong has said that government’s decision to reopen schools is overwhelmingly welcome but comes at a rather sudden note to the private schools.
He said even though Ghanaians yearn for the reopening of schools, the 15th January announced by the president of the Republic comes to them in the private schools at a time when they need more time prepare.
He said the government should have given them prior notice to the reopening so that they could prepare well ahead of the day, considering the long stay at home and the coronavirus protocols to meet.
He said now is the time for proprietors to scout and engage the services of teachers and other supporting staffs as most of their former employees, who were laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic, have now found different workplaces to lay their heads.
Dr. Domasus Tuurosong has observed that private schools will bear costs of procuring the coronavirus safety personal protective equipment such as sanitizers, face masks, veronica buckets among others to ensure the safety of pupils and teachers.
He therefore called on parents to come to terms with proprietors of private schools in case of any possible increase in fees in efforts to meet the coronavirus protocols and modalities.
Touching on the newly two-semester academic year system announced by the president which allows pupils to stay in schools twice a year, Dr. Domasus Tuurosong said it may likely not help the pupils because they would stay longer at home during vacation.
He said there is high possibility that children may forget what they learned in the previous semester owing to the long stay on vacation.
Dr. Domasus Tuurosong is the proprietor and senior lecturer at Tupaso Centre of Academic Excellence, an educational complex in Wa, Upper West Regional capital.
President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo has announced that both public and private basic schools including Kindergarten, Primary and Junior High Schools will resume from 15th January, 2021 during his Update No 21 on Measures Taken Against the Spread of Coronavirus on Sunday, January 3, 2021.