An Educationist and Political commentator, Mr Ekow Djan has criticized the government over delay in supplying Personal and Protective Equipment (PPE) to the various schools.
Mr. Djan said in a statement on Tuesday, January 19 that his checks have revealed most schools across the country are yet to receive their PPE to enable them to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
This, he said, is bad.
“On Monday, January 18, 2020, I took pain to visit some Basic schools in the Central Region. Regrettably, most schools lacked enough desks in their classrooms. The truth is; once there are inadequate desks, there’s a clear impossibility of practicing social/physical distancing in the classrooms. Pupils sat in twos, threes, and fours and on dual desks. This clearly breaches the Coronavirus safety protocols. Imagine pupils sitting in twos/threes/fours in a class size of between thirty (30) and seventy (70). It is ridiculous!
“Government must be up and doing. We’re obviously not in normal times, as such, we should not entertain the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Ministry of Education’s normal ways of handling affairs in our schools i.e not paying critical attention to situations like this, Parents and Teachers Association not showing up to assist the government in times like this,” his statement said.
He added “Our pupils and teachers are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus now. Let’s do everything humanly possible to ensure that our schools are safe for teaching and learning. If we can not ensure a safe environment, then I recommend we close down schools, go back, prepare and come back later.
“On the positive side, I was happy to see some schools busily cleaning up their compound and classrooms. This was a step I deeply appreciated and urged that it would be continued, possibly, every week. As some were scrubbing their classrooms, others were cleaning their desks, urinal, and toilets. This must be encouraged much often.
“I would urge the government to provide PPEs and desks as soon as possible. Only these can ensure strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols. Let’s make Ghana Education better!”
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana
