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Ghana: We’ll work to justify our inclusion – New ministers

Noticias

We’ll work to justify our inclusion – New ministers

The newly sworn-in Ministers of State for President Nana Akufo-Addo’s second term have promised to work solely in the interest of Ghanaians to ensure massive socio-economic transformation.

They have thus asked for support from citizens to enable them to do so.

Communication and Digitalization Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful who spoke on behalf of the new Ministers after their swearing-in ceremony was grateful to the President for the honour done them.

“We express our sincere appreciation to the President and thank him for the confidence reposed in us. We pledge not to let you down and live up to the oaths that we have sworn and discharge our responsibilities to the best of our ability.”

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful expressed the commitment of her colleagues to delivering on their mandate in a manner that will be beneficial to the entire nation.

“We urge all Ghanaians to continue to remember us in your prayers so that we can work together to justify our inclusion”, she added.

In all 28 out of 30 Ministers of State were sworn into office at the Jubilee House on Friday evening.

The two sectoral ministers who could not be sworn into office are the Minister-designate for Finance, Ken Ofori Atta and Minister-designate for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ebenezer Kojo Kum.

Ken Ofori-Atta is yet to go before the Appointments Committee to be vetted due to complications from COVID-19 while Ebenezer Kojo Kum was unable to attend the swearing-in ceremony due to ill-health.

Akufo-Addo’s charge

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has tasked his newly-outdoored ministers to make it a priority to add value to the country’s system of governance.

He said this is the only way the renewed four-year mandate given his New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration by Ghanaians can be well expressed.

“I am assured that the various background of each one of you will bring value to the governance of our country and enable us to deliver the commitments of our manifesto- the secret compact that ties us the New Patriotic Party to the Ghanaian people”, the President said.

While touting his first-term successes in the areas of health, education, infrastructure, accountability and industrialization, President Akufo-Addo assured that his government is in the “process of putting this nation onto the path of sustainable progress and prosperity,” in the next term.

President Akufo-Addo, therefore, encouraged the appointees to ensure continuous transformational leadership aimed at improving the socio-economic life of the ordinary citizen.

“I urge you to provide leadership that will ensure that work that we do, benefits the progress of our nation and help raise the living standard of our people. That is why we are here and that is why the Ghanaian people voted for us.”

Fuente de la Información: https://www.modernghana.com/news/1066057/well-work-to-justify-our-inclusion-new-minister.html

 

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Ghana: A/R: Four children rescued from suspected kidnapper

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A/R: Four children rescued from suspected kidnapper

Residents at Esumeja in the Bekwai Municipality of the Ashanti Region have captured a suspected kidnapper.

They rescued four children.

The victims, two girls and two boys aged between 2 and 6 years old were kidnapped last week.

One of the victims escaped from a cemetery deep inside the sacred Asantemanso Forest where the victims had been held hostage for days, according to the police.

Police together with some other residents conducted a search in the forest during which a young man was seen running away when he saw the search party. He was chased and arrested by the team.

The victims identified the suspect to the police.

The 23-year-old suspect, Michael Adomako admitted taking the victims to the forest.

A search conducted at the scene revealed some charms with feathers and some bloodstains.

The suspected kidnapper has since been remanded by a court at Bekwai.

He is expected to reappear on Tuesday, 9 February 2021 as police continue investigations.

The victims have returned to their families.

Fuente de la Información: https://www.modernghana.com/news/1060043/ar-four-children-rescued-from-suspected-kidnappe.html

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Ghana: Women’s Participation in decision making: Why it matters

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Women’s Participation in decision making: Why it matters

As the country goes to the polls on December 7th 2020, this is a prime opportunity for citizens to contribute towards a more inclusive and sustainable democracy in Ghana. This builds on the positive record of seven successive and generally peaceful elections that have culminated into three successful transfer of power from one party to another since 1992.

Supporting more women into decision making during this year’s election and beyond would help to reverse the currently low levels of women’s participation and representation in political decision-making processes and in other spaces at all levels.

While women constitute more than half of the country’s population (51.2%), they represent only 13.8% of members of the national parliament, and constitute less than 30% of ministers, members of the Council of State, heads of public institutions and boards. The numbers are even lower at the local level. For example, the number of women elected and appointed to Assemblies continue to decline over the years; with 10 percent in 2006, to 6 percent in 2010 and 5.4% in 2015.

As Ghana is touted as a model of democracy and good governance in Africa, leadership in this area could help to harness the power of diversity in building inclusive democracies across the continent. According to the Africa Human Development Report (2016), promoting women’s political voice and leadership will help to drive gender equality and women’s empowerment and accelerate the achievement of all the sustainable development goals. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 acknowledges this fact and therefore has a target to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life”.

There is evidence that having more women in public and private decision making increases the general level of public sector effectiveness and accountability in a country. This is particularly pertinent as the country seeks to respond and recover from the impact of COVID-19. Women are often dynamic leaders of change, who galvanize women and men to get involved, to claim their rights, and strengthen their communities to be resilient.

Unfortunately, there are still many barriers to overcome to enhance women’s participation in decision-making. The low levels of women’s participation in leadership is often attributed primarily to patriarchy or male dominance. This is a key aspect of the Ghanaian social system in which the woman’s role and status are relatively recognised to be inferior to those of the man in almost all aspects of social, political and economic life.

Custom, law and even religion have also been used to rationalize and perpetuate these differential roles to the extent that some women themselves seem to have accepted and internalized them. Other factors include limited knowledge and prioritization of Gender Equality in the leadership or governance architecture, increasing cost of doing Politics in Ghana and reduced advocacy by women’s groups and gender advocates due to limited funding and resources.

There is now an opportunity to implement the existing legal frameworks of the country that give equal opportunities for both men and women to register to vote, to exercise their franchise, and to stand to be elected for either as presidential candidates, members of Parliament or Assembly representatives in both local and national government structures. We recognise efforts by present and past governments to close the gender gap in decision making and leadership. However only modest gains have been achieved.

Women participation in decision making is not just a right, but also key to sustainable development. In a democracy, it is important that every part of the population is equally represented. Having both men and women involved in decision-making broadens the perspectives, increases creativity and innovation, diversifies the pool of talents and competences, reduces conflicts, and improves the process of decision-making. Indeed, women’s participation in decision making in general has benefits not only to women but to the general society as a whole.

Now is the time to encourage more women in decision making as they prioritise policies that improve lives for everyone including quality education, health, housing and social justice. Women in leadership are also considered to adopt more empathetic, collaborative and consensus building leadership styles that are key to inclusive national progress.

Evidence from across Africa shows that having more women as part of peacebuilding and conflict resolution efforts also contributes to more lasting peace. As they pay closer attention to people’s needs, they are inclined towards conflict prevention and collaborative solutions.

There is significant value therefore, in bringing more women around the decision-making table. This is why UNDP since 2013 has supported processes for the development of an Affirmative Action Bill and the development and launch of Ghana’s Second National Action plan this year (GHANAP II) 2020 to facilitate the implementation of UN Resolution 1325, which prioritizes women’s role in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. UNDP is pleased to continue to engage with all key stakeholders to ensure women’s equal participation in decision making across the country.

Fuente de la Información: https://www.modernghana.com/news/1047865/womens-participation-in-decision-making-why-it.html

 

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Ghana: 13 Universities Connected To Free WiFi — Bawumia

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13 Universities Connected To Free WiFi — Bawumia

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia on Friday commissioned Free Wi-fi service for 13 public tertiary education institutions in the country to enhance teaching, learning and research.

The project, executed at a cost of over US$ 11 million, was facilitated and implemented by the Electricity of Ghana (ECG) leveraging on 650 kilometres of its Fibre Optic Network, in collaboration with the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and Northern Electricity Distribution Company Limited (NEDCo).

The Free Wi-fi pilot project would also connect internet to the ECG’s district and sub-stations along the Optic Fibre Network.

The beneficiary tertiary institutions include the University of Ghana, University of Professional Studies, University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ).

Others are the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, University of Education, Winneba, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, Regional Maritime University, Ghana Institute of Languages, National Film and Television Institute and Ghana Technology University College.

Also, frantic arrangements was underway to connect the campuses of the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, and University of Development Studies, Tamale, in the northern sector of the country, and the Public Technical Universities and Nursing Colleges to Free Wi-Fi service.

Commissioning the Free Wi-Fi project at the new North Dzorwulu Campus of GIJ in Accra, Vice President Bawumia lauded the Management and staff of ECG and partner institutions for making the Government’s vision of connecting free internet service to the public universities a reality.

He said piloting the project at the 13 public tertiary institutions would help the implementing agencies and government, to identify any unforeseen challenges, ahead of rolling out Free Wi-Fi service in 722 public Senior High Schools (SHSs) and 46 Colleges of Education across the country.

Dr Bawumia announced that 80 per cent of work on connecting the SHSs to the free internet service was completed.

He was of the belief that, the project was a game-changer in the academic community, which would enable students and lecturers alike, to teach and learn at a conducive environment in developing the country’s human resource base.

The Vice President noted that the «Can Do Spirit» exhibited by the ECG had rekindled public confidence in the leadership of ECG and would go a long way to accelerate the socio-economic development of the country.

«In April 2019, I recalled making a request to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and asking if the ECG can leverage on its fibre optic infrastructure to support Government’s digitisation agenda. When I made this request to ECG, ECG said they will get back to me and with support of the Minister of Energy John-Peter Amewu, the ECG’s Board and Management, I must pay homage to them… I’m so proud of them.

«They think outside the box and so they took up the challenge and they came back and said,» We think we can do it,» Dr Bawumia stated.

«That «Can Do Spirit» is really great and they made this project a reality… There is a new confidence and hope in the leadership of ECG, and we’re looking forward for more opportunities ahead,» Dr Bawumia added.

The Vice President expressed the government’s commitment to developing the human resource base of the country by leveraging on digital technology so that «we’re not left behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution».

Mr John-Peter Amewu, the Energy Minister, in his address, lauded the ECG and its partners for the yeoman’s job in making the Free Wi-Fi a reality.

He, however, cautioned the ECG that whilst it was making arrangements to commercialise the internet service to other private companies, it should not renege on its core mandate of distributing affordable and reliable electricity to Ghanaians and all power consumers.

Professor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo, the Rector of GIJ, in his welcome remarks, expressed delight for connecting the premier journalism institution to the free internet service.

He was of the conviction that it would significantly boost academic work in the beneficiary institutions and accelerate national development.

Fuente de la Información: https://www.modernghana.com/news/1044469/13-universities-connected-to-free-wifi-bawumia.html

 

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This women’s college in Ghana leads the way on e-learning during the pandemic

Wunpini Fatimata Mohammed

By: Wunpini Fatimata Mohammed.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many universities are currently deliberating what to do for the forthcoming semester. St. Teresa’s College of Education, one of five female-only colleges in Ghana, is leading the way with e-learning by consolidating the use of messaging applications like Telegram and WhatsApp.

Established as the Women’s Training College in 1961 and later becoming the St. Teresa’s College of Education, Hohoe, Volta region, in 1964, the college is one of 46 colleges of education in Ghana.

In March, the college sent its students home as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus and most classes shifted online. While some students have been asked to return to school to prepare for their final exams, many students continue to learn online from home.

The college does not have an in-built e-learning platform like Sakai, Canvas or Blackboard, and there are no officially recognized learning platforms in Ghana. At other colleges, tutors often use whichever platform they feel works best and as a result, many students download multiple applications like Google Classroom, Zoom, Telegram, and WhatsApp, some of which consume a lot of data. In many cases, students are not formally enrolled on these platforms by their institutions to take lessons.

At St. Teresa’s, however, online learning is mostly conducted on WhatsApp and Telegram. After consulting with tutors and students, the apps were designated as the official learning platforms for the college. Tutors switch to WhatsApp if they run into network problems while conducting classes on Telegram. Students observe that these platforms are low-cost, and this helps them save money on internet data.

Speaking to Global Voices by phone, Benedictus Mawusi Donkor, a tutor at the college, explained why the college decided to enroll all students on WhatsApp and Telegram for e-learning:

When we were using the Google Classroom and YouTube, downloading videos becomes a problem when the network is not that strong. But when it comes to Telegram, I think with a little bit of network you easily get access to text mostly and audio. And some too, just a handful even with the Telegram they have a problem, so we try to engage them on WhatsApp. They have a WhatsApp platform as well as the Telegram.

By consolidating and centralizing platforms for e-learning, tutors have found creative methods to keep students engaged in classes conducted on these messaging apps. Some of these methods include close monitoring of student engagement and attendance, customizing available digital platforms for learning, listening to and addressing students’ and tutors’ concerns and providing monthly digital training for tutors in need.

Doreen Mensah, a first-year student, said that tutors and the college’s authorities found ways to motivate students to participate in online lessons.

The tutors have been motivating us. They know it’s not easy, so they tell us to try. When they are online, and you are not available he will pick his phone to call and find out what is going on. And then they will give you words of encouragement to convince us to go online.

However, there are still structural issues that mitigate learning at St. Teresa’s. According to Jennifer Nyavor, a first-year student, students are struggling financially since their allowances have not been paid since March when they were sent home:

When we were in school, we depended on the allowance but now that we are home, they stopped paying allowances and some of us use it to pay school fees so it’s making life difficult. Since we came back home in March when the president said no school till further notice, that was when they stopped paying the allowances. The allowance is 200 Ghana cedis [$34.54] per month. Unless my parents give me something small to buy data. So when I come online, I can’t ask questions because then the class is over.

High student engagement

According to a Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) report, while some colleges reported attendance rates as low as 31 percent in June, St. Teresa’s reported a 97 percent attendance rate. Tutors were highly engaged and in touch with students’ pedagogical needs. Tutors checked in regularly with students who were missing classes to work with them so that they could maintain regular class attendance.

In phone conversations with Global Voices, students and tutors observed that the college’s principal, vice-principal and quality assurance officer were added to each course platform to observe classes and work to address challenges as they emerged.

According to Jennifer Agyekum, a second-year student at the college, the efforts of tutors to keep students engaged have been effective:

Those who do well in assignments, tokens are being given to students in the form of [internet data] bundles. They are really motivating us to participate in the virtual learning and they are doing their best.

However, tutors and students still had to deal with other structural issues that specifically affected student engagement while they studied remotely.

Sophia Adjoa Micah, the principal, said:

As students are at home, some parents may not understand the whole business of learning online. Seeing their wards online they may not take kindly to it. And being females, some of the students have to do chores at home. It is a challenge to learn online and concentrate without any distractions.

Other tutors took the initiative to call parents and talk to them about creating conditions at home to enable their daughters to learn online with as few distractions as possible.

At the end of each month, tutors are required to write reports detailing the progress of their online classes and identify the challenges of mitigating teaching and learning. These reports are then submitted to school management who review them and work with tutors and students to develop strategies to address these issues.

The college also adopted an open communication style where conditions were created for students to share their concerns and challenges. The students who spoke to Global Voices found that this communication style was helpful for supporting their learning.

A model for higher education e-learning

While some lecturers in other higher education institutions in Ghana have struggled to navigate teaching online, St. Teresa’s College has worked in close collaboration with tutors to ensure that they are properly equipped to use digital tools to teach their classes.

Some tutors said that the Information Technology (IT) department of the college organizes monthly programs and workshops to help tutors who are struggling to navigate digital platforms in their classes.

In an email conversation with Global Voices, Principal Micah explained how some of the college’s support funds from T-TEL were used to enroll tutors in an online certificate course organized by Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.

The college is doing well with limited resources, but Micah believes that the establishment of a state-of-the-art ICT center will help them improve the quality of e-learning. Micah has also appealed to telecommunications companies in Ghana to provide support for students via free data packages to improve access to education, especially for marginalized students.

Source of the article: https://globalvoices.org/2020/07/10/this-womens-college-in-ghana-leads-the-way-on-e-learning-during-the-pandemic/

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¿Cómo afecta COVID-19 a la educación de las personas con discapacidad en Ghana?

Wunpini Fatimata Mohammed

Por: Wunpini Fatimata Mohammed.

 

Inesperadamente, estudiantes con discapacidad tuvieron que cambiar al aprendizaje en línea.

En Ghana, la educación ha sido objeto de una serie de reformas, pero las experiencias educativas de personas con discapacidad suelen dejarse de lado.

Cuando el coronavirus llegó a Ghana, los investigadores examinaron su impacto en los estudiantes de la clase obrera y en los estudiantes de las zonas rurales, pero no de manera especifica en los estudiantes con necesidades especiales, sobre todo en lo que respecta al aprendizaje en línea.

Los estudiantes con discapacidad auditiva y visual se enfrentaron a varios retos técnicos, económicos y sociales cuando el COVID-19 llegó y la escuela tradicional se convirtió en una escuela en línea.

Actualmente, esos estudiantes con discapacidades de muchas instituciones de educación superior utilizan Zoom, Telegram y WhatsApp para el aprendizaje. Son plataformas digitales que no fueron creadas para el aprendizaje virtual ni para personas con discapacidad.

Muchos de los estudiantes con discapacidad auditiva fueron separados de sus intérpretes de lengua de signos y no tenían dispositivos de asistencia, como audífonos. Esto impactó mayormente los estudiantes con conocimiento limitado del lenguaje de señas. Los estudiantes invidentes fueron separados de sus amigos “videntes” que normalmente los asisten.

En una conversación por WhatsApp con Global Voices, Esinam Aleawoubu, estudiante con problemas auditivos del Colegio Presbiteriano de Educación de Akropong, contó sus experiencias con el aprendizaje electrónico:

 

A veces, algunos tutores utilizan audios en vez que textos; pero yo soy sorda, no puedo escuchar audios. Esto significa que hay un intérprete que se supone debe traducirlo a las personas sordas. Tengo que reunirme con el intérprete a través de Zoom. Desafortunadamente, no podemos reunirnos a menudo por problemas de conexión de red y algunos problemas de teléfono.

Cuando los tutores se dieron cuenta de que las conferencias audiovisuales en video aplicaban el gasto de los datos de internet a los estudiantes, cambiaron a otros métodos, como conferencias de audio de PowerPoint que seguían utilizando elementos audiovisuales pero reducían el gasto de Internet. En Ghana, en promedio, un gigabyte de datos de Iiternet cuesta 10 cedis (1.72 dólares estadounidenses).

Según Julius Yaw Klu, estudiante con discapacidad visual del Colegio Presbiteriano de Educación de Akropong, su teléfono de cuatro años es anticuado y no permite un acceso fácil a las conferencias en línea:

El problema al que me enfrenté con lo audiovisual es el mismo que tengo con PowerPoint. A veces necesito media hora para poder acceder a la conferencia. A veces tengo que esperar a que la clase termine para poder pedir prestado un computador y utilizarlo para acceder a la conferencia.

Daniel Kwarko, otro estudiante con discapacidad visual del mismo colegio, contó un problema similar con el uso del móvil para participar de las clases en línea:

El móvil puede abrir la mayoría de los documentos que recibimos, pero no puede leerlos, y es difícil para los que son ciegos. A veces no encuentras a nadie que te lo lea. No puedes encontrar a alguien que siempre esté para leer tus notas. Los teléfonos no pueden leer PowerPoint ni las diapositivas, pero el computador portátil hace todas esas funciones. Incluso puedes usarlo para convertir documentos para que sean accesibles para JAWS [programa lector de pantalla].

Estos estudiantes dicen que proporcionar tecnología actualizada para computadores portátiles podría facilitar enormemente el aprendizaje en línea.

Hacía la inclusión en la educación

La política de educación inclusiva de Ghana de 2015 “garantiza un entorno de aprendizaje sin barreras y permite a todos los alumnos, incluidos los discapacitados, desplazarse con seguridad y libertad, utilizar las instalaciones y participar en el aprendizaje y en todos los aspectos de la vida escolar”.

Sin embargo, los estudios muestran que uno de cada cinco niños de 6 a 24 años con alguna discapacidad “no asiste a la escuela y los que lo hacen a menudo son estigmatizados y enfrentan discriminación”.

Pese a los esfuerzos de hacer que la educación sea más inclusiva, los estudiantes con discapacidad audiovisual enfrentan una brecha digital sobre el aprendizaje en línea. Esta brecha no solo margina a los estudiantes discapacitados sino que exacerba aún más las desigualdades en el sistema de formación de docentes de Ghana.

Mohammed Salifu, profesor y secretario ejecutivo del Consejo Nacional de la Educación Superior, dijo en una entrevista telefónica a Global Voices que las partes interesadas están aplicando medidas para abordar las necesidades de aprendizaje electrónico de los estudiantes con necesidades especiales:

Tenemos que asegurarnos que todas las intervenciones que estamos haciendo está realmente adaptadas a sus necesidades. Así que los directores de la universidad han sido proactivos en comunicarse con nosotros. Nos estamos asociando con varias organizaciones para abordar estas intervenciones. En estos días hay socios globales que vienen a hacer presentaciones sobre cómo pueden ayudar. Incluso la UNESCO [Organización de Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura] está tratado de proporcionar estos fondos para apoyar a los estudiantes con necesidades especiales. No diría que hemos abordado todos los temas de manera integral, pero estamos trabajando para lograrlo.

El proyecto Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) también está trabajando en Ghana para garantizar un aprendizaje en línea inclusivo para los estudiantes con discapacidad auditiva y visual. Por ejemplo, asignan fondos para el material de los planes de estudio en Braille, proporcionan teléfonos inteligentes para el acceso digital y ponen a disposición convertidores de texto a voz.

Ampliar el acceso a la educación

La ley sobre las personas con discapacidad de 2006 estipula que los edificios públicos deben ser accesibles, pero un estudio mostró que la mayoría no están adaptados a las necesidades de esas personas.

Los espacios educativos convencionales no son ptropicios para personas con discapacidad, y en Ghana, las pocas escuelas especializadas no tienen fondos ni recursos suficientes.

En las Escuela para Ciegos de Akropong, tres estudiantes comparten el mismo equipo para aprender el Braille porque los fondos son limitados, según un informe de la Corporación de Radiodifusión de Ghana (GBC, en inglés). Simon Adedeme, jefe del departamento de enseñanza primaria, describió la situación como obstáculo para la enseñanza y al aprendizaje.

En muchas instituciones de enseñanza superior, personal docente, administradores y estudiantes suelen tener conocimiento muy limitado y carecen de los recursos necesario para lidiar con la marginación estructural de los estudiantes con discapacidad.

Se alienta a muchos discapacitados a que sigan una formación profesional y otros tipos de trabajo físico, y a la vez se les disuade de la formación intelectual en distintos rubros de la educación superior.

Solo tres de los 46 colegios de educación de Ghana han sido designados como centros de educación inclusiva donde los discapacitados pueden obtener una licenciatura en educación y capacitarse para convertirse en maestros de escuela básica.

La inscripción a esas tres instituciones sigue siendo muy baja a pesar de los recientes esfuerzos por mejorar las estructuras y atraer a más gente con discapacidad a la profesión de maestro.

Es imperativo trabajar en estrecha colaboración con estos estudiantes para asegurar que la inclusión y el acceso genuinos se realicen y se mantengan. Esto requiere trabajar activamente para aplicar todas las políticas pertinentes a fin de que las personas con discapacidad no queden al margen de la educación en Ghana, durante o después de la pandemia.

Fuente del artículo: https://es.globalvoices.org/2020/07/14/como-afecta-covid-19-a-la-educacion-de-las-personas-con-discapacidad-en-ghana/

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Ghana: Summary Of Results From IFEST’s Tracking Of Reopening Of Schools: Views Of Teachers And Students

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Summary Of Results From IFEST’s Tracking Of Reopening Of Schools: Views Of Teachers And Students

The Institute for Education Studies elected itself to assiduously track the views of relevant stakeholders on issues relating to the reopening of schools, the provisions of relevant PPEs and other related matters during this period of COVID-19.

Our first study focused on the perception of relevant stakeholders on the possibility of reopening of schools. The findings of the report were duly published on our website, media platforms, and shared extensively among the stakeholders in the education sector.

This study which is the second on our research agenda dubbed “Education in the midst of a pandemic” focused on tracking the provision of PPEs to schools, challenges being faced by students and teachers on campus in relation to implementing the relevant health protocols and to ascertain if there is a need to shut down the schools in the midst of the perceived challenges.

IFEST for the past two weeks (1st – 14th July 2020) has monitored and collected data from 1245 respondents comprising (513 teachers and 732 students from Basic and SHS levels) from 80 districts across 13 regions in the country. The selection of respondents was done accidentally.

The summary of the results is presented below.

  1. 78% of the respondents are satisfied with the provision of the relevant PPEs to the schools. These are respondents who answered YES to questions pertaining to the provision of veronica buckets, nose masks, hand sanitizers and thermometer guns.
  2. 22% indicated that they have still not received the full complement of the relevant PPEs. Respondents in districts such as Kasena Nankane, Sekyere Kumawu, Ekumfi, Talensi, Awutu Breku, Awutu Senya East, Boso indicated that they do not have the full complement of their PPEs.
  3. 67% of the respondents indicated that, they have been able to implement the 25/30 students in a class policy. However, 33% mentioned that they have not been able to do so and indicated that there seems to be congestion. Again, in relation to the practice of social distancing on campus, 51% mentioned that they have not been able to implement the social distancing protocols on campus.
  4. 42% mentioned that they were oblivious of what to do when there is a possible incidence of a case of Covid-19 on campus. Respondents from districts such as Ejisu, Juaben, Ekumfi, Bosome Freho, Talensi, Ahafo-Ano South West, Atwima Nwabiagya, Awutu-Senya East etc. indicated that they were unaware whether their schools have been linked to a health facility.
  5. Some of the challenges encountered since the reopening of schools included:
    1. Students not adhering to the health protocols during break time, in their dormitory and after closing.
    2. Lack of accommodation for day students
    3. Congestion in some dormitories as a result of the gold-track students on campus.
    4. Inadequate source of water for students’ usage on campus.
    5. Students refusing to disclose their health status to friends and teachers for the fear of being tagged as an example of a Covid-19 case.
    6. Staff room always full due to the directive by certain heads and directors of education at the district level, that each teacher in the school should be present always (this was prominent among the Basic school teachers)
    7. Continuous use of school premises by external people
    8. Insufficiency of the PPEs provided
    9. BECE candidates’ inability to fully appreciate the indoor break system.

    In relation to whether respondents STILL SUPPORT or DO NOT SUPPORT the decision to partially reopen schools, 69.3% out of the 732 students indicated that, they STILL SUPPORT the reopening of the schools despite the challenges, 26.4% mentioned that they wish the schools will be closed down while 4.3% said they were indifferent. The major reason given by the students was that, they needed to finish their education. For the WASSCE candidates, some indicated that their parents have already purchased their admission forms for entry into the university.

    For the teachers, it was a split decision since 52.1% indicated that the schools should be closed while 47.9% otherwise.

  1. 78% of the respondents are satisfied with the provision of the relevant PPEs to the schools. These are respondents who answered YES to questions pertaining to the provision of veronica buckets, nose masks, hand sanitizers and thermometer guns.
  2. 22% indicated that they have still not received the full complement of the relevant PPEs. Respondents in districts such as Kasena Nankane, Sekyere Kumawu, Ekumfi, Talensi, Awutu Breku, Awutu Senya East, Boso indicated that they do not have the full complement of their PPEs.
  3. 67% of the respondents indicated that, they have been able to implement the 25/30 students in a class policy. However, 33% mentioned that they have not been able to do so and indicated that there seems to be congestion. Again, in relation to the practice of social distancing on campus, 51% mentioned that they have not been able to implement the social distancing protocols on campus.
  4. 42% mentioned that they were oblivious of what to do when there is a possible incidence of a case of Covid-19 on campus. Respondents from districts such as Ejisu, Juaben, Ekumfi, Bosome Freho, Talensi, Ahafo-Ano South West, Atwima Nwabiagya, Awutu-Senya East etc. indicated that they were unaware whether their schools have been linked to a health facility.
  5. Some of the challenges encountered since the reopening of schools included:
    1. Students not adhering to the health protocols during break time, in their dormitory and after closing.
    2. Lack of accommodation for day students
    3. Congestion in some dormitories as a result of the gold-track students on campus.
    4. Inadequate source of water for students’ usage on campus.
    5. Students refusing to disclose their health status to friends and teachers for the fear of being tagged as an example of a Covid-19 case.
    6. Staff room always full due to the directive by certain heads and directors of education at the district level, that each teacher in the school should be present always (this was prominent among the Basic school teachers)
    7. Continuous use of school premises by external people
    8. Insufficiency of the PPEs provided
    9. BECE candidates’ inability to fully appreciate the indoor break system.

    In relation to whether respondents STILL SUPPORT or DO NOT SUPPORT the decision to partially reopen schools, 69.3% out of the 732 students indicated that, they STILL SUPPORT the reopening of the schools despite the challenges, 26.4% mentioned that they wish the schools will be closed down while 4.3% said they were indifferent. The major reason given by the students was that, they needed to finish their education. For the WASSCE candidates, some indicated that their parents have already purchased their admission forms for entry into the university.

    For the teachers, it was a split decision since 52.1% indicated that the schools should be closed while 47.9% otherwise.

    Fuente de la Información: https://www.modernghana.com/news/1017041/summary-of-results-from-ifests-tracking-of-reopen.html

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