Former Lecturer at the Central University Dr Anna Ewusie-Mensah has observed that the partial lockdown, which came with a ‘Stay Home’ advocacy, afforded many parents the opportunity to aid their kids in learning.
But after the easing of some of the restrictions last Sunday, it has become difficult to monitor these kids.
She made this observation on Thursday as part of a panel that discussed the basic education framework of Ghana amid Covid-19.
The forum was organized by Media General in partnership with Oxfam and the Foundation for Security and Development Studies (FOSDA).
It was themed: ‘National Dialogue on the Framework for Reopening of Schools in Ghana’.
It follows President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s announcement that schools would reopen from Monday, June 15 to final year students of tertiary institutions and high schools.
While senior high schools will reopen on Monday, June 22, junior high schools will reopen on Monday, June 29.
This is to afford the students the opportunity to prepare and write their final exams.
With this development, primary, nursery and kindergarten as well as second and first year students of tertiary and high schools will continue to be home.
Dr Ewusie-Mensah, who is also the Director of the Royal School, noted that because parents were mostly home at the peak of the restrictions in Ghana, they complemented the efforts of teachers, who resorted to online platforms to teach.
“Now that the parents have to go to work, monitoring has become a challenge for them,” she lamented.
Dr Ewusie-Mensah, however, admonished parents to train their children in learning as “we will not be there to monitor our children throughout their growing period”.
“It starts with the training. Once the training is there, the monitoring will be easier.”
She said parents must not be preoccupied with making money though it may be important.
“As much as making money is important, parents must make sure their children are equally and more important and they must devote their time to their children.”
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana