All second year senior and junior high school students will resume school from Monday, October 5.
They will be in school for 10 weeks to complete their academic work.
“With continuing students in the University of Cape Coast, the University of Health and Allied sciences, Technical Universities, and some other Colleges returning to school almost a week ago, to finish the academic year, the decision has been taken by the Ghana Education Service after consultation with the relevant stakeholders, for SHS 2 and JHS 2 students to return to school from 5 October to 14th December 2020 to complete their academic year.”
This was made known by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his 16th update to the nation on Sunday, August 30.
It follows the completion of academic work by final-year students.
While those in SHS are almost done with the West African Senior Schools Certificate Examinations (WASSCE), Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates are gearing up for theirs, which begins on Monday, September 14.
This will leave space for the other cohorts.
In his address, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the decision to allow the second-year students resume academic work will be the only return for students this year.
“The Ghana Education Service, after further consultations, has decided to postpone the remainder of the academic year for all nursery, kindergarten, primary, JHS 1 and SHS 1 students,” he said.
“The next academic year will resume in January 2021, with appropriate adjustments made to the curriculum, to ensure that nothing is lost from the previous year.
“The relevant dispositions will also be made so that the presence, at the same time, in school of all streams of students, can occur in safety.”
Schools across the nation were closed down on Sunday, March 15, three days after Ghana recorded its first index cases of coronavirus.
Since then, final-year students across the education divide have completed their academic work, resuming on Monday, June 15 at the tertiary level.
Continuing students at that level also resumed on Monday, August 24 to complete their semester.
With the latest decision to allow second-year JHS and SHS students resume comes free hot meals for the former.
JHSs will operate with a class size of 30 while SHSs will have 25 students in a class.
“Prior to reopening, all junior and senior high schools will be fumigated and disinfected.
“Just as was done in the case of final year university, JHS and SHS students, all JHS 2 and SHS 2 students, as well as all teaching and non-teaching staff, will be given reusable face masks.
“Each School will be provided with Veronica Buckets, gallons of liquid soap, rolls or tissue paper, thermometer guns, and 200 mils containers of sanitizers.”
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana