Government has offered to provide a meal a day for all final-year junior high school (JHS) candidates sitting for their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and their teachers.
It followed reports that some final-year JHS students were going hungry.
In his 15th national broadcast on Sunday evening on the measures being taken by government to stem the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and easing of restrictions, President Akufo-Addo said, “In complying with Covid-19 protocols, I have just instructed the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection to begin preparations to ensure that, as from 24th August up to 18th September, all five hundred and eighty-four thousand (584,000) final-year JHS students, and one hundred and forty-six thousand (146,000) staff, both in public and private schools, be given one hot meal a day.”
He expressed delight in the fact that through online learning portals, almost all continuing students in the universities have completed their studies for the academic year but for a few exceptions like University of Cape Coast, the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Technical Universities, and some other colleges.
Varsities Opening
After extensive stakeholder consultations, the President said “the decision has been taken for continuing students in the tertiary institutions to return to school, on 24th August, to finish their academic year.”
Just as it was done for final-year students who returned to school, the government, through the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES), has been asked to ensure that all these tertiary institutions are disinfected.
“Universities will be equipped with the necessary personal protective equipment, and those with their own hospitals and clinics will have isolation centres to deal with any positive cases,” he noted.
Apart from that, he said “all other institutions, without their own clinics and hospitals, will be mapped to health facilities, and there will be no mass gatherings and no sporting activities.”
Religious activities, under the new protocols, will also be permitted whilst a directive has been issued for social distancing and the wearing of face masks to become the norm on campus.
Basic Schools Reopening
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education is said to be still engaging the Ghana Education Service (GES) and all relevant stakeholders to conclude discussions on the modalities surrounding a possible reopening of pre-tertiary schools including senior high schools (SHSs) and J HSs, with a promise by President Akufo-Addo to communicate in due course the decisions that will be reached from these consultations.
“You can be rest assured that I will always take into prime consideration the safety and well-being of our children, teachers and non-teaching staff in the decisions that will be taken, because I am determined to ensure that the education of our children is not unduly disturbed by this pandemic,” he assured Ghanaians.
He acknowledged concerns over the continuous closure of the country’s air, land and sea borders, saying “I know many still ask when our borders, especially our international airport, Kotoka International Airport, will be open.”
Possible Border Reopening
The President, however, noted that “under my instructions, the Ministry of Aviation, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and the Ghana Airports Co. Ltd., have been working, with the Ministry of Health and its agencies, to ascertain our readiness to reopen our airport,” insisting “I want to ensure that we are in a position to test every single passenger that arrives in the country to avoid the spread of the virus.”
“The outcome of that exercise will show us the way and determine when we can reopen our border by air. I am hoping that by God’s grace, we will be ready to do so by 1st September,” he pointed out.
Until then, he reiterated “our borders, by air, land and sea, remain closed to human traffic.”
He, however, noted that special dispensation will continue to be given for the evacuation of Ghanaians who have been stranded abroad back to Ghana, where they will be subjected to the mandatory quarantine and safety protocols.
Clubs, Beaches Still Closed
Meanwhile, beaches, pubs, cinemas and nightclubs are still to remain closed until further notice even though most open bars that have been allowed to operate are breaking existing protocols on hygiene and social distancing.
Conferences Ban Lifted
The limit on the numbers of persons who can attend conferences, workshops and award events has now been lifted subject to the maintenance of social distancing amongst participants, fresh air ventilation of the premises, and a two-hour limit for each session.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu