Videos + pictures: Pupils in Ashanti region go back to school amid COVID-19 upbeat
Many school children in the Kumasi Metropolis on Tuesday January 19, 2021 returned to school to begin an academic work after ten months of break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, their first day, as observed by otecnews during a visit to some public schools saw them only cleaning up and weeding their over-grown compounds.
Some of the Pupils expressed their joy of returning to school, while others still hold in nostalgia the cartoons, movies and TV games they will be missing because of the reopening.
One of the pupils said, “I am happy to go back to school, but I will miss my baby brother…she told me her mother has given birth to a new baby boy”.
At the Ohwim R.C Primary, children were seen cleaning up for academic work to begin.
The situation was not different from Best Foundation international School, it was observed that most students were in their nose masks while other protocols on COVID-19 were duly observed.
Meanwhile, The Kumasi Metropolitan Directorate of Education, David Oppong has said a shift system will be rolled out in Basic and Junior High Schools (JHS) with high student population.
This is to reduce the number of students per class in order to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
According to the Metro Directorate, the decision has been discussed with the Regional Managers and Head teachers of those schools who will also discuss it with parents.
“Children must not wear the mask for longer hours as oxygen cannot properly enter the masks… so let’s obey the closing rules and allow the children to breathe directly as and when necessary,” he added.
He said the new wave of the Coronavirus was dangerous as it spreads faster adding, “out of a test of 70 people, 30 were positive which is very alarming and so the need to observe all the protocols”.
Speaking in an interview to Otecnews at Yennyaso Presbyterian after touring some schools on ‘My first day at school ,the Kumasi Mayor, Osei Assibey Antwi, on’ the Metro Directorate indicated that the COVID-19 protocols were being adhered to in the schools visited.
“From the schools that we visited, parents have done well, they have provided the kids with nose mask. We went around and we realised that all the children were wearing nose mask. That is a plus for parents, the schools that we visited we also realised that sanitisers, tissue paper everything was in place.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com
