Education think tank, Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) is asking health authorities in the country to begin enforcing COVID-19 isolation in schools to curb spread among students.
The group’s call comes on the back of a recent testing of some students in a school it solely facilitated, where two pupils tested positive.
But nine days after the testing was carried out, while awaiting delayed results, “we note disturbingly that academic activity is still ongoing in these two classes with no regard to isolation protocols since the testing and in contravention of Ghana’s COVID-19 case management protocols”.
Per its monitoring, Eduwatch says it realised there was total disregard for isolation and COVID-19 case management protocols in some basic schools.
“We are therefore calling on the GHS, Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, and the NaSIA to enforce the COVID-19 isolation protocols in basic schools that record COVID-19 cases”, a statement from the group said.
Two weeks ago, Eduwatch said it facilitated the testing of two basic classes at the St. Elizabeth School, West Legon.
It emerged that two students in these classes had tested positive for COVID-19.
The School Authorities had for over a week been tight-lipped on the matter, even after the affected parents had informed the Headmaster, according to Eduwatch.
The think tank thus notified the GHS and the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA), the regulator of private schools.
“Even though NaSIA did not respond to our letter, the GHS immediately moved in to undertake testing of learners in these two classes.”
“In order to prevent the recurrence of such blatant disregard for existing protocols, offending schools must be sanctioned by the Ministry of Education.”
“Should the status quo persist, we risk increasing the incidence of disease spread within our basic schools and in our homes. We finally urge parents to take an extra interest in their ward’s health”, the release added.
