School reopening: Visitors, morning assembly, sports and other social gatherings banned -Education Minister

The Ministry of Education has directed that no form of religious activity must be countenanced in schools as they reopen for final year students amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.

Sector Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who announced this at a press briefing on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, also indicated that visitors will not be allowed entry access to their wards at the boarding schools.

These measures he says are aimed at reducing the rate of Coronavirus infections and fast track contact tracing processes as final years return to schools to prepare for their exit examinations.

“When schools reopen, they will not be available for religious activities. It is simple, we do not want too many interactions so that [should the unexpected happen], we can trace who might have come to the school with virus. So we want to keep it that only students and their lecturers are in school. When the junior and senior schools reopen, there will be no visitors allowed during the period that they are in school. Parents can no longer go and visit their kids for that period”, the Minister noted.

Meanwhile, foreign tertiary students who are outside the country and are identified will be allowed to return granted their country will allow them to exit.

Other measures for JHS 

• All classes are to be split with not more than 30 students in a class.
• As a reduced school day, classes will be organized from 9 am to 1 pm each day.
• There will be no breaks outside the classroom.
• Schools will have enhanced daily health protocols.
• Schools will be unavailable for religious activities.
• No sports or sporting events are allowed.

Guidelines for SHS 

• All classes are to be split with not more than 25 students in a class.
• All day students in boarding schools will now be accommodated into the boarding house
• Day schools will have enhanced daily health protocols.
• Dining will be in batches in boarding schools.
• No visitors will be allowed.
• Schools will be unavailable for religious activities.
• No sports and sporting events are allowed.

Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com