Heads of the various senior high schools (SHSs) in the Eastern Region are gearing up for the reopening of the schools after a long break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
They have given an assurance that all arrangements are in place to receive both the final year and form two students on Monday, June 22, following the presidential order for a partial reopening of some educational institutions.
They said they were providing all the health safety protocols like the availability of Veronica buckets, soaps, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, face masks, among others, to be used by the students and staff members when they return.
Addressing journalists during a disinfection exercise in his school by Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL) on Tuesday, the Assistant Headmaster, Administration, Pope John’s SHS in Koforidua, Kwame Adjapong, said for their school, for instance, room allocation for the students had already been done by the senior housemaster.
The disinfection exercise forms part of an arrangement between the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and ZGL to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease in the SHSs.
He said with respect to the seating arrangement in the dining hall, the school had resolved to allow six students to sit around every table instead of the usual 12, adding that “students per class has also been cut down to 25 instead of 50.”
This move, he explained, was part of steps to make sure that the students observe the social distancing protocol needed to stem the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Mr. Adjapong, who was flanked by the Senior Housemaster, Eric Bampoe, and the Assistant Headmaster, Domestic, E.F. Bedjabeng, said they had appealed to the old students association to support them with more Veronica buckets, hand sanitizers and nose masks.
He said they were expecting about 1,055 students when the school resumes.
The Headmaster, Academic, Oti Boateng SHS, Francis Terkpertey, who also confirmed the readiness of his school to welcome the students, indicated that to ensure the adherence of the social distancing protocol, a 12-unit classroom block had been completed.
“We have bought thermometer guns that would be used to take the temperatures of the students. We have also purchased alcohol-based hand sanitizers, Veronica buckets and nose masks which would be given to the students to use,” he revealed.
The Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Zoomlion, Emma Akyea-Boakye, disclosed that they were disinfecting 137 SHSs and 1,997 basic schools in the region.
“We shall complete the SHSs coming Friday and the basic schools next Friday,” she disclosed, adding “our district officers and supervisors have been deployed across the region for the exercise.”
At the St. Roses Pre-School, New Tafo Akim, the Headmistress, Love Agyapong, said for a strict adherence to the Covid-19 protocols, her school must run a shift system.