The National Association of Graduate Teachers) NAGRAT) has petitioned President Akufo-Addo to exempt SHS 2 students from the students expected to return to the classroom following the easing of restrictions on schools.
President Akufo-Addo in his tenth televised nation’s address directed all final year students in Junior and Senior High Schools and Universities to resume classes ahead of their exit examinations.
“Indeed final year university students are to report to the universities on 15th June, final year Senior High Schools; SHS 3 students together with SHS 2 gold track students on 22nd June and final year Junior High School students on 29th June.”
“JHS 3 classes will comprise a maximum of 30 students, SHS classes, a maximum of 25 students and university lectures will take place with half the class sizes. All final year students of educational and training institutions which are being managed by ministries other than the Education Ministry are to return to school on 15th June to complete their exit examination,” the President directed.
Reacting to the announcement, the President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu described the inclusion of SHS 2 students as worrying as it increases the numbers and encourages crowding in the various schools.
According to him, the move is a gamble with the lives of students and teachers, appealing that there is the need to be careful when expanding the numbers.
He, therefore, wants the President to reverse the addition of the second-year students.
“Because even with the form three students, we are not too sure how we’re going to handle the number and all that; whether even these attempts that we are making is going to be effective. For the teachers, the Ghanaian teacher is versatile but the teacher like any other Ghanaian citizen is apprehensive about the situation because the teacher is also scared about getting infected either through his own colleague or through students or whoever he or she comes into contact with,” he said.
“There are examples of Korea where they reopened schools then there was a second wave of infections, they had to close down schools. In France, they reopened schools, there was a wave of reinfections, they had to close down schools, and so on and so forth.”
“We will like that the form two students will be taken out of the equation for now so that we see how we can establish protocols and how we can adhere to those protocols for the final year students,” Angel Carbonu requested.
source:abcnews
