COVID-19: Six proprietors dead over schools closure – Association claims

The Ghana National Council of Private Schools has claimed six proprietors have died has schools struggle under the financial impact of closing schools to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Executive-Director of the council, Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah said the closure of schools for the last five months has put a financial strain on school owners who have to devise ways and means to pay staff.

“We have lost six proprietors because of this…when they see their teachers, they collapse and when they take them to the hospitals they don’t come back. Even next week we are going to bury one of our members,” Mr Gyetuah said on Starr FM.

He also criticized the government’s decision to suspend the rest of the academic calendar till January 2021.

President Akufo-Addo during his 16th address to the nation on measures taken against the spread of coronavirus said schools would be reopened for only SHS 2 and JHS 2.

But Executive-Director of the council, Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah described the decision as unfortunate and lacked adequate consultation.

“Government should have reopened schools for all junior high students…we don’t accept this reopening of schools because if you look at things, what academic calendar are they going to continue?. 

“This tells you effective consultation wasn’t done in the reopening of schools as the president said yesterday. The committee that was set up sat only twice but they were supposed to sit about five times and with broader consultation.”