The decision of the government to reopen schools in order for final year students to write their final exams was met with a lot of scepticism and criticism.
To many, considering the rate of spread of the corona virus, these students were being needlessly put at risk. Some educationists suggested three options:
1. That the cummulative record of these final year students be used to grade them or
2. That Universities are allowed to set entrance examinations for these students or
3. That the WASSCE is postponed until there are proven ways of dealing with the spread amongst the students.
These suggestions fell on deaf ears as the government had already made up its mind.
To make matters worse, parents were prevented from visiting their wards who were in Senior High schools however, members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) including Nana B were captured campaigning in the same Senior High schools wherein their very own parents couldn’t even visit them.
And when Accra Girls recorded cases of the covid-19, worried parents trooped into the schools to take their children home. However, due to heavy security which was present on campus, these disturbed parents were prevented from taking their wards home.
Moreso, other West African countries who write the WASSCE have postponed the exams.
So when the Electoral Commission announced that they’ll open registration centers in the Senior High schools to enable students who were of age to register, the general assumption was that the schools were reopened not because of academic purposes but because the government wanted their self-styled Nana Addo graduates to register and vote for them in the upcoming elections. Afterall, aren’t these students beneficiaries of the Free SHS policy?
In the sad news, a final year student known as Cindy Aku Sika Addo of the Methodist Girls High School, located at Mamfe, Akuapem in the Eastern region has been confirmed dead by the Ghana Education Service (GES).
As a result, the number of deaths recorded in Senior High schools within a period of two weeks, has increased to three.
Cindy is reported to have died of acute malaria though it was not included in the statement released by the GES.
According to the Statement, Cindy was rushed to the Tetteh Quarshie hospital on Thursday, July 16 but was transferred to Koforidua Regional Hospital on Friday where she met her untimely death.
READ THE STATEMENT FROM THE GES BELOW:
The GES has assured the family of its support in giving her a befitting burial.
