The government of Ghana need to consider the option of re-opening schools using the shift system strategy whereby schools are conducted in two sessions per day. This will help reduce congestion in schools and enable students and Pupils easily practice social distancing and adhere to other health protocols that would help reduce possible COVID-19 infections in schools. For example, a class of 60 pupils could be divided into 2. 30 go to school from 8-12 noon, and the next batch 1-5 pm. School and public health authorities could be asked to develop plans which can enable both students and pupils adhere to health and hygienic protocols. What we should be aware is that, the COVID-19 pandemic might not be ending anytime soon, it might take a year or more for it to possibly go away. The new-normal is to live our lives and be mindful of how to stop the virus from spreading by making the wearing of masks compulsory in schools and regularly hand-washing with running water and soap in schools . These we can do as a nation and it does not cost much. The longer our children are out of school, the more it will affect them academically in catching up with their colleagues in other part of the world who have started academic work in schools. Its true that distance learning has been introduced in these difficult times to enable students and Pupils catch-up with studies, but the mode of of leaning is inaccessible to over 90% of students. The needful thing to do is to open schools and adopt prudent measures like the ones enumerated earlier to enable us prepare our students for the future. Germany is currently recording over 400 daily cases of COVID-19 , but that did not deter the country from impacting knowledge to the future generations by re-opening schools. Other countries with worst COVID-19 cases are also re-opening schools to keep school children engaged and prepared for the future. With the right strategies like the one recommended above, we can open schools in Ghana now. Incentive packages can also be introduce within the period to motivate teachers for their extended time of work.
Opinion:
Gabriel Mwini