Senior High Schools in the Kassena-Nankana area have begun enforcing the President’s directive against allowing visitors into school premises as schools resume.
Schools authorities have taken the President’s directive seriously and a step further by taken actions to vacate hawkers and operators of campus shops popularly known as ‘common market’ from school premises.
Authorities say the presence of the hawkers and their activities in the schools pose serious health risks to students, staff, and may mar management efforts in curbing the spread of the viral pandemic.
When GhanaWeb visited some of the schools on the third day of reopening to observe the compliance to the safety protocols and how authorities are receiving the students, it was noted that major entry points were manned to prevent unauthorized movement of people in and out of the campuses.
Most of the schools visited had reminders such as “No Nose Mask. No Entry’, “Please Wear Your Nose Mask”, “Wash Your Hands With Soap Under Running Water” etc. posted on doors, walls, gates to inform the public.
Navrongo Senior High School
At the Navrongo Senior High school, for instance, there was tight security at the main gate. Two men guarded the gate, strictly enforcing preventive protocols such as wearing of nose marks. Persons who failed to adhere to the protocols were refused entry and turned back.
In the school campus, GhanaWeb spotted a number of ‘Veronica Buckets’ placed at vantage points to encourage proper hand washing among students and staff.
Effective teaching and learning had begun and a maximum of 25 students were put in each classroom.
Headmistress, Mercy Babachuweh told GhanaWeb in an interview that the school management has also made arrangements to reduce numbers in the dormitories and dining hall. She said each student was allocated a bed to enforce the social distancing directive.
Mercy Babachuweh revealed that the school has received its portion of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) from the government which was being put to judicious use to combat the spread of the virus. She expressed appreciation to the government.
She also expressed appreciation to the school’s Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) for supporting the school with two infrared thermometer guns.
Student numbers on the campus were encouraging.
Awe Senior High School
The Awe Senior High School also in Navrongo was part of the schools visited. When GhanaWeb got there, it was observed that all campus shops were closed. The student numbers were comparatively low.
It was gathered that junior year students had been ordered to pack their belongings in the dormitories to make room to accommodate the final year students.
The enforcement of safety protocols was also tight at the main entrance of the school. Persons arriving at the school’s gate were encouraged to wear nose masks.
Our Lady of Lourdes Girls (OLL)and Paga Senior High School
GhanaWeb also visited the Our Lady of Lourdes Girls (OLL) and the Paga Senior High School where adherence to the safety protocols such as social distancing, hand washing, and the wearing of nose masks are in full enforcement.
The number of staff in the schools visited in the first week of reopening was encouraging.
Some of the students GhanaWeb spoke to said they were glad to be back in school after almost four months at home. They were hopeful school authorities will put in place the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus to enable smooth learning. They were particularly happy with authorities for the safety protocols they were taken through on arrival.
“Returning to school after staying so long in the house is really good and I am very happy to be back. I have missed the teaching and my colleagues. If not for the coronavirus, we would have completed and gone home so I’m happy the president has reopened for us to complete”.
“When we arrived in school on Monday, we were screened and our body temperatures were taken with a thermometer before they allowed us to enter the campus. We were happy with that because it will help prevent some students from coming to school with the disease,” a student identified as John from Navasco told GhanaWeb.
