Over 530,000 final year JHS students return to school

Over 530,000 final year students in 17,439 Ghanaian basic schools will return to school on Monday, June 29, as the country relaxes its COVID-19 restrictions.

This will allow them to prepare and sit for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the next 11 weeks, said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday adding that: “They will be the final, and indeed, the largest batch of students to return to school.”

“In all, we are expecting some 750,000 persons, comprising 532,000 JHS 3 students, and 218,000 teaching and non-teaching staff, and invigilators, to be involved in tomorrow’s exercise,” the President said.

Like Senior High Schools, Universities and other tertiary institutions, all Junior High Schools across the country have been fumigated and disinfected.

“Additionally, we have procured and distributed 45,000 Veronica Buckets; 90,000 gallons of liquid soap; 90,000 rolls of tissue paper; 40,000 thermometer guns; 750,000 pieces of 200mils sanitizers; and 2.2 million reusable facemasks, i.e. three per person, all with the intent of guaranteeing the safety of the students, teaching and non-teaching staff.”

COVID-19 guidelines in JHS Schools

JHS 3 students will be in school for 11 weeks of preparation and revision, before spending the following week to take the BECE.

There will be no more than 30 students in a class, and there will be a reduced school day, with students reporting to school at 9am, and closing at 1pm.

No breaks outside the classroom will be permitted; assemblies and sporting events are banned; and the use by outsiders of school premises for religious and other activities will not be allowed.

As is the case for the other educational institutions, each basic school has been mapped to a health facility, and care will be provided to the sick in these health facilities by nurses assigned to these schools.

Ghana’s Covid-19 status

Thirty patients are in critical condition at various treatment centers in Ghana as the country’s Covid-19 cases rise to 17,351.

This is according to President Akufo-Addo in an address to the nation on Sunday night.

The President also said some 12,994 patients have so far recovered representing some 75% of the positive cases recorded.

Some 112 patients, the President noted, have also died after contracting the virus constituting 0.6% of the positives.

The figure also shows that the country’s death rate is one of the lowest in the world through the country has so far conducted some 294,867 tests.