Editorial: COVID-19; Closing down Kindergarten and lower primary is a good option

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has proposed that schools in the country be closed in order to control the rising spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) in the country. The call comes in the wake of increasing fatalities among Covid-19 patients.

Currently, the death rate of the pandemic has reached 464, following the confirmation of eight more fatalities, and the country has recorded 765 new infections, raising its active cases to 6,411 from a previous 6,095 since the last update on Saturday, February 6, 2021.

But many parents have opposed the idea of a total closure of schools, citing the number of months their wards have stayed at home as a basis for their argument.

According to these parents, the long stay at home has had adverse effects on their kids’ educational and social lives, with some children engaging in all sorts of social vices which they wouldn’t have engaged in if they were to be in school.

Hence, they argue that the children should be kept school while the government ensures that the protocols are followed religiously to protect these kids in their various schools.

Others who are also not in support of the closure of schools argue from the financial implications that this decision would have on them. They argued that many parents have spent so much on fees and books for the term, and it wouldn’t be financially wise to close them down some few days of resumption.

However, Dr Michael Owusu, a Virologist at the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research, has come up with an idea which The Chronicle agrees with.

Dr Michael Owusu is calling on the government to take a firm decision to close down the pre-school, kindergarten and lower primary sections of schools in the country. According to him, this move will help control the rate of the spread of the virus in the country.

Dr Michael Owusu, who was speaking on JoyNews Prime, indicated: “If we have to tackle schools, I don’t think that closure of all schools is necessary, but we may begin by looking at the kindergarten and lower primary.”

We, at The Chronicle, agree with the views expressed by Dr Owusu and, therefore, call on the government to heed to this call.

We, first of all, think that those in pre-school, Kindergarten and lower primary shouldn’t have been made to go back to school, since the disease is still lingering and a looming danger. Our reason is that these kids obviously cannot follow the protocols well – such as wearing of facemasks, hand washing, use of hand sanitisers and social distancing – without the help of their teachers.

This means that these teachers would have to be the ones to inspect the wearing of the facemasks by the kids at every minute, which will really not help solve the situation, because in the process of giving the assistance, either party can contract the disease from the other.

We are aware of the fact that the early stages of a child’s education are very important, but should we trade our children’s lives for education which can be acquired through so many means, including home-schooling?

May be it is time for the government to sit down and have broader consultations on this issue for the betterment of the country. But, at this moment, we, at The Chronicle, believe closing down pre-school, kindergarten and lower primary is an option that must be highly considered.

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