The Deputy Minister for Information, Pius Enam Hadzide has said that government will engage the Parent-Teacher Associations over their request for the closure of Senior High Schools after reported cases of coronavirus.

According to him, they may have a genuine concern but they will have to engage them further on their decisions to have these schools closed.

Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that though the government has instituted measures including a Committee to handle the safety of these students, they will still have to engage the Association further and have discussions with them.

He said the government shares in their concern and worry but they will need to explain certain things to them for them to know that the government has the capacity to manage the situation.

He added that enough measures have been put in place to avoid or limit the spread in these schools as they prepare to write their exams.

Call for closure of schools

The National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations of Ghana has called for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to be postponed.

In a statement, it noted that because of COVID-19, the students in school are “psychologically unstable and therefore would not be of sound mind to write the WASSCE and BECE examinations and come out successfully.”

It also wants all schools closed down “to avert further spreading of the coronavirus among our children and staff.”

The Council came to this conclusion after a National Executive Consultative meeting.

Since schools reopened, there have been multiple cases of infection recorded in schools nationwide.

The council said it had observed that the government had not ensured optimum safety conditions in schools and that there were still “lapses in implementation of the COVID-19 safety measures.”

It noted that there was still overcrowding in schools, inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) despite assurances by the state when schools were set to open on June 22.