Head teachers of some Educational Institutions in the Upper West Region have expressed concern over the possible ‘importation’ of the coronavirus into the region with the reopening of schools for final year students.
They expressed the fear that the schools had students across the country with some residing in areas designated as hotspots for the CODVID-19 infection, and could transport the virus to the schools in the region.
They, have therefore, called for precautionary measures to be put in place prior to the possible reopening, including testing of students before allowing them into the school premises.
The concerned head teachers made this appeal when they took their turn to speak during a stakeholders’ consultation meeting on the integration of the COVID-19 protocols into the school system as the institutions prepared to reopen for final year students.
The meeting which brought various players in the education sector together to consolidate ideas on the safe reopening of the schools saw some institutional heads raise issues about the absence of testing for the students as part of the safety measures.
Some of the head teachers also requested for the allocation of health personnel to the institutions to attend to students who may fall sick to prevent them from going out of the school’s premises.
The Regional Director of Education, Mr Godfrey Dongyeru outlined some of the measurs put in place to ensure that students and members of the school community were safe.
The measures, he explained, included the provision of Veronica buckets, nose masks, hands gloves, hand sanitisers and others to be implemented to prevent the spread of the virus.
He, therefore, pleaded with the school authorities not to give out their school premises for religious gathering or other social events.
FROM LYDIA FORDJOUR AND RAFIA ABDUL-RAZAK, WA
