Using this model, IFEST has called for parents to contribute to the cost to ensure the programme’s sustainability and efficacy.

The Deputy Director of IFEST, Patrick Danquah made the proposal in an interview on Accra-based ChannelOne TV.

“Free SHS needs to be reviewed so that they can relook at the element of taking part of the cost and allowing the parents who were handling the costs better to continue to handle it the way they did,” he stated.

The call follows an appeal by the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) to the Ministry of Education.

CHASS has appealed to the Ministry to release overdue funds essential for the smooth operation of SHSs before schools reopen on January 3, 2025, to prevent adverse effect on educational activities.

CHASS emphasised that unpaid arrears for perishable goods, utility bills, and other necessities continue to impede the schools’ functionality.

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Despite the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum’s assertion that this year’s WASSCE results are the best since 2015, Mahama contests this, alleging lax invigilation and teacher assistance.

Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Apeah-Danquah asserted the need for John Mahama to back his claims with evidence.

“What the former president said might be quite unfortunate, but if he has any evidence to prove that, then we can have a discussion. You can’t just say that a lot of students passed and, as a result, it is not appropriate, or it doesn’t reflect the true performance. We know the free SHS has its issues, but if you make such an allegation, you should back it with evidence, so if he has got a piece of evidence, I think that should come up. But if he hasn’t, then we have to move on,” he said.

During his country tour, Mr. Mahama discredited the examination results, pointing to malpractices and students conniving with teachers to cheat.

The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, has also challenged Mr. Mahama to provide evidence.

“The information the former President has will help all of us to resolve the matter,” he said on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme.

Their call comes barely 24 hours after the reopening of schools for the 2020/2021 academic year to commence following a long break in March 2020.

Reports and checks from schools nationwide revealed most of them were yet to receive the PPEs promised by the government.

A situation IFEST describes as “completely unacceptable”, hence the call.

“It is even more shocking because the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service have had the privilege of experiencing the challenges that bedevilled the sharing of these PPEs during the partial reopening, last year and should have started the distribution long ago before the reopening date.

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“Unfortunately, pupils have had to report to school today without the needed PPE at a time when Covid-19 is in the ascendency in the country,” the group lamented in a statement.

However, they have also called on parents and guardians to provide their wards with at least a nose mask and hand sanitiser to enable them to stick to the protocols.

Read the full statement below:

In a communiqué issued to the Minister of Education and its allied offices, IFEST says the country must be guided by the impact of the Ebola crises on education in affected countries after schools were closed for eight to 12 months.

What was formerly known as VIAM Africa, now IFEST, has therefore tabled a number of suggestions or roadmap for a return to school, suggestions, that will not only meet the objectives of the country’s education but will also consider the needs of public health in these time of global pandemic.

Key among the roadmap is a return to the shift system to reduce population in classrooms as part of a strict social distancing protocol in the event schools are reopened.

Background

As part of measures to fight the spread of Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana, the president Nana Akufo-Addo, in March announced a ban on all social gatherings and as a consequence a closure of all schools, churches, pubs, drinking bars etc.

Even though cases of positive infections have hiked into the thousands, there has been a general consensus that the bans and restrictions be relaxed, albeit with social distancing protocols.

Schools, churches, and other organizations have submitted social distancing protocols in order to limit the spread of the Covid-19 which has since infected 6019 Ghanaians, killed 33 others with 1737 recovered persons.

IFEST Intervention

IFEST believes it is time for the students to return to school with strict protocols.

“With our years of experience in and understanding of the sector and after considerable research on the issue at stake, IFEST submits the following proposals for consideration. The focus of any plan should be to prevent the spread of the virus in our schools and control/limit its spread should any cases be reported,” IFEST said in its communiqué.

The communiqué in part said the schools should have a clear cut, laid down protocol on how to handle suspected cases of Covid-19 when detected.

“These protocols should be made available to all schools in written form and in the form of posters on school compounds.”

To deal with the issue of large class sizes, IFEST is suggesting a split in classes either by adopting a shift system or have some of the students use compounds as their classrooms.