GES, GHS issue guidelines for Gold Track SHS students returning home tomorrow

Second-year Gold Track students of the government’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy who joined the final years for the partial reopening of schools have ended their semester and are expected to return home tomorrow [Friday, July 31].

However, due to coronavirus infections recorded in some of the high schools, the government has issued specific guidelines these students must follow before going home.

According to a joint statement from the Ghana Education and Health Services, “any school where no positive case of COVID-19 has been recorded, the students can vacate and go home.”

“Any school that had a positive case but has not reported any new positive case within the last two weeks, the students can vacate and go home.”

“Any school that had a positive case within the last two weeks, all contacts within the gold track will have their vacation delayed for assessment and observation before they can be allowed to go on vacation and parents is of such students will be notified.”

Appreciation

The GES and GHS, in the statement, further expressed their gratitude to their staff and the government.

The statement read: “Management of GES and GHS wish to use the opportunity to thank and appreciate all staff of GES and GHS. Management is hugely indebted to you for your commitment, dedication and sacrifices in the interests of the students.”

“We also want to express our profound gratitude to government for its support, especially the President for his resolve to see that the future of these children is not compromised by the outbreak of the coronavirus,” it added.

The Services concluded by pleading with the general public to continue to support the remaining students who are still writing their final exams in prayers.

Background

The President, Nana Akufo-Addo, after weeks of closing down school due to the coronavirus, reopened them for final year students to prepare and enable them to take their final examinations.

Second-year SHS Gold Track students were also instructed to return to school.

The SHS students reported to school on Monday, June 22, 2020.

According to the Education Ministry, the final year students were to have six weeks of academic work and five weeks for their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Coronavirus in schools

According to updates given by the Ghana Health Service on July 21, 96 cases have been recorded in schools in the Greater Accra Region, of which 73 have recovered.

The Volta Region has seen 54 cases of the coronavirus in schools. Of these cases in the Volta Region, 49 are active.

In the Greater Accra Region, the most cases have been at the Accra Girls SHS with 56 cases, of which none are currently active.

Most cases in the Volta Region were the 25 recorded at Mawuli School.

Source: Citi