News
Spare us the fake news agony on COVID-19 in schools
Junior High Schools final year students resume school today, to prepare for their Basic Education Certificate Examinations expected to be written in September.
This forms part of the road map of gradual easing of restrictions and returning the country back to normal, as announced by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a broadcast, after broad consultation with stakeholders.
The students have been at home since March, as a result of the closure of schools as part of measures to check the spread of the novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) that is responsible for the deadly COVID-19 disease.
Originally, these young ones would have finished writing their exams and awaiting results to get admissions into their dream Senior High Schools. Their academic calendar has been distorted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
That notwithstanding, they are back to school effective today and the Ghanaian Times welcomes them back to school and wishes them the best in their preparations towards their exit exam and pray that they come out with flying colours and progress to the next stage in their academic journey.
Of worthy to note is that while at home, the government rolled out distance learning, through the television broadcasting to keep the children learning at home, while some schools also created online platforms to engage the students.
In addition, the government has undertaken the disinfection of schools and supply of personal protection equipment for the schools to ensure the safety of the children and teachers as they return to school.
We implore the school authorities to strictly enforce the health protocols, including wearing of nose masks, the regular hand washing and use of alcohol-based sanitisers.
As children, and having been away from school for long, there is the tendency for them to be carried away by excitement and engage in gatherings for chit chats and other games.
The Ghanaian Times reminds the school authorities to be very strict in enforcing the social distancing protocol of 25 students per classroom and to ban all outdoor games in school.
While commending all the stakeholders and government for the elaborate plan for re-opening, we are disappointed that some unscrupulous people have taken delight in spreading fake news about the spread of the COVID-19 in some senior high schools.
It is very unfortunate and regrettable for such faceless persons to continue to play pranks with such a serious national and global health problem.
This is the time that we have to demonstrate the spirit of nationalism and patriotism in the fight to contain the spread of the disease and keep our country safe.
Indeed, this is not the time to spread fear and panic in schools; but a time to support the efforts of government and stakeholders to ensure the safety of students to motivate them in their final examinations.
We urge school children to remain resolutely focused on their studies and not to be deterred by these fake news, while reminding them that the COVID-19 is real and still spreading.
School authorities owe it a duty not to lower their guard as the children are back to school, during this critical period.
Once again, we wish them the best of studies and good luck in their final examinations and advise that they abide strictly to the health protocols to keep safe.
Source: Ghanaian Times
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
