A Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has challenged the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) to reveal the names of high schools that do not have personal protective equipment (PPEs) in the wake of the coronavirus.
He said as far he is concerned, both junior and senior high schools have been provided with the PPEs to enable them protect staff and students from the virus.
He told Alfred Ocansey on the Sunrise morning show on 3FM Thursday, July 16 that if anyone has contrary views and knows of any school that has not yet received the PPEs, the government will appreciate it if the name of that school is put out.
GNAT had earlier said government lied when it said PPEs were supplied to the various senior high schools before reopen in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
President of GNAT Ms Phillapa Larsen told Alfred Ocansey last Tuesday that some schools were not provided with the PPEs before they reopened.
The schools had to rely on the parents to supply their wards with nose masks way before the government started supplying the others.
“They said without the PPEs the doors of the schools were not going to be opened. Unfortunately, school reopened without PPEs but the schools managed. They have done a few things especially with the Veronica buckets, the soaps and the rest. The parents also did well by providing some nose masks. That is what the schools managed until government supplied the PPEs to the schools.
“Are we saying that one mask per student that is the end to this problem? Then it means as country we lied, as a country we have not been honest because people in positions have mentioned that all the PPEs have been supplied,” she said.
But reacting to this claim, Dr Yaw Adwutwum, who is in charge of Basic and Second Cycle Schools, said: “The least they could have done was to communicate to us. Let them point to us the schools that don’t have the PPEs, they should tell us.
“I know all schools have received their PPEs, if they know of any school that hasn’t received theirs they should give the name.”
By Laud Ayensu|3news.com|Ghana