The Regional Students’ Representative Council (Regional SRC’s) has written to the Ministry of Education appealing for the reopening of schools to allow final-year students to complete their High School education.
A statement addressed to Happy 98.9 FM by the Regional SRC’s indicated that they are against the use of the “continuous assessment for grading” them towards the attainment of their WASSCE certificates. And would rather prefer schools to be reopened for them to sit for their final exams.
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They noted the reopening of schools should be done for only those in their final year. “Only final year students should be made to come to school. While we share in the general concern that, these are not normal times and hence any decision to have schools opened has to be done with carefully laid out protocols,” the statement said.
The Regional SRC’s also mentioned that a minimum of two 2 months notice should be given to the final year students to prepare for the final exams.
In the statement, they also outlined a proposal on measures that can be taken to reopen schools.
The outbreak of COVID-19 in Ghana made it necessary for schools to be closed down as part of governement’s efforts to fight the virus disrupting the academic calendar and largely affecting final year students.
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Child Rights International (CRI), a child-centred organisation, has called on the Ministry of Education (MoE) to consider using the continuous assessment method as an alternative to award certification or grade students who are going to write BECE and WASSCE in the absence of written examinations at the end of their school term.
The move, according to the organisation, would remove the burden of MoE and the Ghana Education Service (GES) having to go through the difficulties of awarding certification and grading students as a result of the global impact of the Coronavirus.
Attached is the release:
MEMORANDUM
FROM: THE LEADERSHIP OF THE REGIONAL STUDENTS’ REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL (REGIONAL SRC’S)
TO: THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
SUBJECT MATTER: PROPOSAL FOR THE REOPENING OF SCHOOLS FOR FINAL YEAR STUDENTS.
DATE: MAY 21 2020
We have taken notice of public discussion and ongoing debate on whether schools should open or not and as key stakeholders of education, we wish to contribute our quota to the debate. The Regional SRCs exist to champion the welfare and interests of students in the various senior high schools. We commend government for it’s handling of the corona virus pandemic and wish to court the support of everyone in this fight against the unwanted guest.
The leadership of the regional councils are proposing these measures as we share ideas on the best way out of the situation. We wish to state emphatically that to ensure social distancing, only final year students should be made to come to school in the mean time as we fine tune our efforts to stay with the virus.
While we share in the general concern that, these not are normal times and hence any decision to have schools opened has to be done with carefully laid out protocols. Necessity, they say is the mother of invention, it is in this regard that we write to government to consider the following proposals
1.Incentives and insurance for front line teachers and supporting staff will go a long way to motivate them to give their best and discard any fears they harbour
2.We commend government for the disinfection exercise conducted in schools. Additionally, Provision of Veronica buckets, nose masks, precautionary Covid-19 notices pasted as reminders to students and staff.
3. Schools without running water should be provided with water to enhance sanitary situation
4. Internal big gatherings in school should be avoided until the situation is brought under control
5.Day students in the final year should be made to join their colleagues in the boarding house to avoid movement to and from school and to ensure safety
6. Intensive education should be conducted by Ghana Heath Service on COVID for all staff and students on the do’s and don’ts to ensure safety
7. There should be mass testing for all students and staff and other non teaching staff before reopening of school to ensure that those with the virus are isolated and treated before joining their colleagues in school
8. District Directors of Education and other authorities should intensify monitoring in schools to ensure compliance of the protocols and provide support where need be.
9. We also encourage authorities to conduct bi-weekly periodic tests for all persons on the campus for early tracing and treatment
10. success of the measures and safety of the final year students will give everyone a fair idea of our readiness to welcome all other students for full academic work.
11.Schools should not be in session for more than 8 hours.
12.Reopening of schools fully can be done based on the outcome of assessments made during the period when final year students were in school.
13.The final year exams should as a matter of importance be localized by the governing council of final year exams (WAEC)
14.A minimum of two 2 months notice should be given to the final year students to prepare for the final exams.
We wish the Ministry through the Ghana Education Service will factor these proposals, however we wish to state that we are against the use of the continuous assessments.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Ms. Sandra Boateng Amponsah. Mr. Fiifi Obeng Bediako
(The GARSRC President ). (The ARSRC President)
Mr. Prosper Nartey. Mr. Raphael Sarkodie
(The GARSRC Administrator). (The ARSRC Coordinator)
0263706536. 0243543152
Cc:
All Zonal Executives’ Committees
Local Executives Committees
Appointees of the Regional SRC
All SRC General Patrons
The Leadership of the Association of Past Executives and Coordinators-APEC
All Media Houses
