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‘Govt should be cautious about re-opening of schools’
An educationist is appealing to the government to deal cautiously with the issue of re-opening schools in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic.
This was necessary because the issue at stake was a serious one which must be handled with maximum care to prevent the disease from escalating further in the country.
The educationist who pleaded anonymity in an interview with The Spectator said having considered the rate at which the infection was spreading , the authorities should make room for the COVID-19 positive figures to subside before considering re-opening the schools.
According to her, it was unfortunate that some of their colleagues were pressing hard for re-opening of schools with no regards to the serious health implications at stake, especially when it came to dealing with large number of children.
She was of the view that since the number of COVID-19 cases had increased over a relatively short period, there was the possibility of encouraging the further spread of the disease in schools, hence the need to be careful not to put the children at risk.
The educationist said though students in tertiary institutions could be careful and conduct themselves well, it would be extremely difficult for teachers who handled nursery and kindergarten schools to take absolute control of the children.
She said at their age, the children hugged and held hands of each other as a sign of expressing love.
The educationist intimated that some parents said they would not allow their children to go to school should the government re-open schools at a time when even adults struggled to escape being infected.
She described the situation as a dicey one since teachers could also infect the pupils and vice versa.
On her part, the Headmistress of St Maurice Roman Catholic A & B Junior High School, La, Mrs Evelyn Ampomah- Nkansah said in as much as stakeholders in education were eager for the re-opening of schools, the right structures must be put in place to facilitate a swift academic work and prevent the students from contracting the virus.
She intimated that something must be done about class sizes because a class with an average of 45 students would not be a conducive environment for social distancing.
She added that parents and guardians must monitor their children at home and prevent them from going to unacceptable sites on the internet.
By Raymond Kyekye
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana has signed a debt restructuring agreement with the Kingdom of Belgium as part of efforts to restore the country’s economic stability after the financial crisis that hit the nation in 2022 and 2023.
The Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, today disclosed that he signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
He explained that Ghana experienced a very difficult period during the crisis, which forced the government at the time to declare a debt default.
However, he indicated that the country is now recovering and witnessing a significant economic turnaround.
According to him, stronger systems are also being put in place to ensure that Ghana does not return to such a situation again.
Dr Forson noted that the agreement with Belgium is the eighth deal Ghana has concluded with countries under the Official Creditor Committee as part of its external debt restructuring programme.
He expressed appreciation to the Government of Belgium for its support and partnership with Ghana during the process.
The Finance Minister thanked Carole van Eyll, Ambassador of Belgium to Ghana, for her role in strengthening relations between the two countries.
The agreement forms part of Ghana’s broader effort to restructure its external debts and stabilise the economy following the crisis.
By: Jacob Aggrey
