Coronavirus: Don’t stampede government into opening schools now – Carbonu

The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, is asking the general public to desist from putting pressure on government to open schools in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak.

It has been about seven weeks since schools were shut down following a directive by President Nana Akufo-Addo to help curb the spread of the virus.

On the back of this, some teachers, and heads of institutions who are facing challenges with salary payment and keeping the students occupied during these times have begun demanding that the schools should be opened, especially after the partial lockdown on some parts of the country was lifted.

There have also been complaints from some parents who find difficulty in keeping their children occupied during these times due to financial constraints and lack of resources.

But Angel Carbonu on The Point of View on Wednesday indicated that Ghanaians would be “laughing at the wrong side of their mouths” if activities at schools should be resumed in these times.

“No one should stampede the government by putting pressure on the government to open schools. What happens in a school of 2,000 students when all sleep in dormitories and study in a classroom of over 50 students? If one student is affected with coronavirus, we know what is going to happen. We know the nature of our schools in this country. Who is going to tell the Class 1 child about social distancing? The moment you tell a Class 1 child to keep social distances, he’ll prove to you his understanding of social distancing by coming close to you. Please let us not stampede the government to open schools for there to be any calamity because when it gets to the younger generation, we will all be laughing at the wrong side of our mouths,” he said.

A Deputy Minister of Education in-charge of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, also on the program noted that the reopening of schools should be delayed a little longer to ensure the safety of students in the wake of COVID-19.

He said the closure was a safety measure devised by the government to prevent a spread of the virus in schools and should be in force until scientific data suggests otherwise.

“Everything we are saying here is not because someone does not want to do something. We are running this country and we are fighting this fight based on science and facts. If the environment is not safe for students to be in school, you cannot be in school,” the Deputy Minister said.

Closure of schools

At the time President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the shutting down of the schools on March 15, 2020, Ghana had recorded six cases of COVID-19.

The case count has now jumped to 1,671  with 16 deaths and 188 recoveries.

The 2020 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) which was scheduled to begin on March 30, 2020, and end on June 1, 2020, has also been suspended until further notice.

As there is no end in sight in the fight against COVID-19 and subsequent opening of schools, managers of educational institutions have resorted to using digital platforms for teaching and learning in a bid to cover up for the lost periods, with some, soon to conduct online end of year examinations.

Source: citinewsroom.com

Positive Effect of The Coronavirus, Economist View

Rethink

• Corona has exposed the use of one sphygmomanometer (blood pressure monitor) at our health center
• Corona has allow the rich to care for the poor
• Infrastructure deficit exposed at our health centers
• It has exposed Ghana health service of the use of one mass balance (weighing scale) at health centers for all patients to use and even removing their footware before using it
• Poor emergency response due to poor settlement plans and locational direction etc.

The Weak Health System

Life expectancy in 2018 for my country Ghana averagely is 63 years by worldhealthexpectancy.com. This means our health sector and health is a challenge.

Most health centers in Ghana are lacking modern facilities and COVID-19 has exposed that. You go to hospital for check up and you will be directed to go to another facility for texting and scanning before coming back to the hospital and which all texting cannot be met.

• A nation which most hospitals do not have Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMRI) scan, which display the internal structures of the body details. Other modern equipment and laboratories to aid health workers to know the actual health problem one is facing and treat accordingly but due to these inadequacy, health workers have to be doing try and error with our health.
• A nation where we live like we are in the old era (the 10th century), you visit a health center and people who should know best will tell you to remove your footware and stand on the weighing scale even with a lot of skin diseases and viruses around and we see nothing wrong with it in Ghana. One Sphygmomanometer is used on every patient who visit the facility. Now Corona has exposed the bad way health is practice in Ghana.
• A nation where National Health Insurance cannot pay for painkiller drugs and even injection because government revenue is taking care of politicians health care outside the country including their transportation at a high cost. Health insurance and facilities can not cover drugs and scan for pregnant women because politicians allowances are too much that government revenue can not provide the basic  health medication for pregnant women ( like full calcium and other important medicines for growth.
• Over 70% of Ghanaian's do not take balance diet food because health Care is expensive in Ghana. Every meal should contain cereal, protein, vegetables and fruits making the square of a meal but in Ghana, most meal kills vegetables nutrients because of the heat the food goes through before been cooked and fruit is mostly missing in our meals.

Economist View:

For our Economy to be strong, we need to improve the health sector because most hours lost at work places are due to health conditions leading to low productivity and reduced Gross National Product causing low per capita income.

Capital expenditure is inadequate in the health sector, which affect the output of the health personnels and psychologically causing imbalance.

High cost of health care does not allow a lot of people to go for checkup to monitor their health situations and also the time spent at the health center increase stress and the dependency ratio. You go to the hospital at 7:00am and you will be attended to for treatment at 1:00pm, all these are hours lost affecting labour output.

High dependency ratio, unemployment, low productivity, poor development index and standard of living, reduced government revenue, low per capita income, etc.

All these are dangers to the economy and the Ghanaian economy future is in shambles if nothing is done after COVID-19

Solutions:

• If laboratories, NMRI scans and modern equipment are available  at every health center at a subsidized cost, will attract a lot of people to go for medical check-up always and improve government revenue and output.
• Modern Sphygmomanometer and mass balance should be acquired in all health centers so that, they shouldn't be touching all patients skin just like the thermometer gun, which will prevent taking back sickness from hospitals
• Government should set her priorities right in things which will develop both the human and capital resources not bullet proof jackets and new Chambers
• National Health Insurance should be empowered financially to provide basic and powerful drugs for effective treatment
• Government should stop exporting quality health personnel outside the country and keep them in the nation to help and improve productivity and output of goods

We are not in normal times and Ghana is almost in recession.

Watch out for the Security Sector next on Rethink our Economy is out of control, the future is dying, the new generation in big trouble because our thinking is out of control for national development.

#Be yourself# Ghana need us.

By: Mr. Aligah Seyram Emmanuel

Economics Tutor at Tanyigbe Senior High School

Tel: +233 54 622 5631

Positive Effect of The Coronavirus, Economist View

Rethink

• Corona has allow our politicians to realise our health sector is weak
• Corona has allow the rich to care for the poor
• Infrastructure deficit exposed
• Great creativity and skills of Ghanaian's at display
• Assault reduced, etc

The Weak Education System

Teaching always goes with learning, with the foundation being discipline. If one is weak the whole system is weak just like the human body.

Reinforcement as a reward for learning has been ignored in Ghana.

Positive Reinforcement: this strengthens behaviour  by providing a consequence an individual finds rewarding. e.g. To enjoy free education, you need to have grade 20 or better in BECE, this is rewarding.

Negative Reinforcement: this strengthens a behaviour  by removing an unpleasant reinforcer. e.g. If you get below 50% in any two or more subjects, you will be repeated or denied free education. This is rewarding. (Theory by B.F. Skinner, 1938).

The Affective domain (Social, emotional or feelings) and the Psychomotor domain (Physical) have been ignored now by policy makers. All policy is focusing on the Cognitive domain (thinking). 

Now students behaviour cannot be controlled in schools and students do not have any motivation to learn because all policies gives students Freedom and not rewarding to learn. 

• Students can not be repeated for poor performance
• Passing only English and Maths gives you admission to SHS under the free education as if only Maths and English is taught in SHS.
• Students performs poorly and the teacher is blamed.

Students are in the house and majority are watching movies and telenovelas or on social media chatting or posting pictures  ignoring the educational channels introduced now and their books because they know at the end leaked past questions will be available or some teachers will solve questions for them during the exams, or big men and women will work it out for them to get job or tertiary to attend. When school resumes majority of students would have forgotten everything and policy makers will put pressure on teachers to deliver, forgotten the students are having the freedom not to learn.

Economist View:

If nothing is done about students lack of learning, this will lead to a situation where they will assume positions and will lack ideas to lead, become politicians and will make bad policies, become a pharmacy and prescribe wrong prescription, become a teacher and impact wrong knowledge, become a Judge and judge wrongly without merit or facts. They will always go for the safe senario that is the easy way to make money without considering the consequences, which most of the time are dangerous. Will be going for loans for consumption but not investment, etc.

All these are danger to the economy and the Ghanaian economy future is in shambles if nothing is done after Corona.

Solutions:

• Cut of points should be introduce before one benefit from free education
• Class and exams score combined, below 50% in two or more subjects the student should be repeated.
• If the next academic there is no improvement, the student shouldn't enjoy the free education.
• Affective and Psychomotor should be improved to serve as a reinforcement for student to learn.
• The community and parents should support and respect teachers to improve discipline. 
• The law should be review to let all ministers and government appointees  to let their children attend schools in Ghana, so they can understand the education system very well and make good policies and also equip schools with the basic facilities needed.

We are not in normal times and Ghana, is almost in recession.

Watch out for the health sector next of Rethink our Economy is out of control, the future is dying, the new generation in big trouble because our thinking is out of control 

#Be yourself# Ghana need us.

By: Mr. Aligah Seyram Emmanuel

Economics Tutor at Tanyigbe Senior High School

Tel: +233 54 622 5631

Commercial drivers threaten to increase fares over ‘high’ fuel price

Some drivers in the country will from Monday increase the transport fares over concernDrivers threaten fare increase on Monday over fuel prices about the cost of fuel.

The leadership of the National Concerned Drivers Association says if the government refuses to reduce the price of fuel at the pumps with immediate effect, they will have no option but to adjust transport fares upwards.

According to the association, the observation of the social distancing protocol in their vehicles is having a huge toll on their earnings.

The Vice-Chairman for the National Concerned Drivers Association, David Agboado in a Citi News interview said the government must heed to their calls especially when there is a sharp decline in the price of crude oil on the international market due to lockdowns across the world following the coronavirus pandemic.

“Now that the fuel is $19 per barrel, we are buying it at GH¢19.85 pesewas which doesn’t match at all. The government should tell the OMCs to reduce the price at least to GH¢10 per gallon. Dialogue is the first option and that is why we are calling on the Ministry in charge of Transport and Ministry of Energy to sit [and discuss this] or we will increase the fares by Monday,” Mr Agboado said.

Commercial vehicles are expected to reduce the number of passengers they take on board their vehicles in adherence to social distancing protocols amidst the COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana.

While some have been seen to be in compliance, others have refused to pay heed, arguing that practising social distancing on their aboard their vehicles will land them in debt.

Source: citinewsroom.com

GES raises red flag on GNACOPS online terminal examinations

Undoubtedly, the educational sector has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic in Ghana causing curriculum disruptions. As a result, virtual or e-learning has been adopted by most educational institutions to enable them to complete their academic work.

Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools GNACOPS, Enoch Jetuah, explained the introduction of an online examination platform. He hinted that more than 18,000 students from Private schools nationwide have written their online terminal examinations from Nursery to JHS 2, Mr. Jetuah noted that the platform is disability friendly.

Reacting to the adoption of online terminal examination by GNACOPS, Director General of the Ghana Education Service, Prof. Opoku Amankwah said the move although laudable leaves much to be desired.

Speaking to Radio Ghana, Prof. Amankwah said that the priority of the GES is content, practical based learning and assessment and not terminal examination.

Hence, the introduction of the virtual learning channel on GBC TV dubbed GL TV. This he said will help students in Junior and Senior High Schools to catch up with the curriculum while at home. He also hinted of plans to replicate this on radio soon.

Source: gbcghanaonline.com 

COVID-19: Ghana’s case count now 641 and number of recovered persons increased to 83

Eighty-three infected persons have recovered from the novel Coronavirus in Ghana, according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

The 83 were part of the 268 confirmed cases under routine surveillance.

Ghana’s case count of COVID-19 has also risen to 641.

The GHS confirmed this on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, via its dedicated website for providing updates on the outbreak.

“The five (5) new cases were recorded in the following locations; one from Adenta Municipality and two (2) each from Ayawaso East and Ayawaso Central Municipalities. With the exception of one (1) of the cases from Ayawaso East, all the new cases are asymptomatic. Contacts of the new cases are being listed for follow up.”

According to the GHS “as of 14th April 2020, at 23:00HRS, a total of 50,719 persons had been tested with 641 being positive for COVID-19.”

Regional breakdown

• Greater Accra Region – 514
• Ashanti Region – 53
• Eastern Region – 41
• Upper West Region – 7
• Volta Region – 9
• Upper East Region – 4
• North East Region – 1
• Northern Region – 10
• Central Region – 1
• Western Region –1

On Wednesday, April 15, 2020, the coronavirus pandemic passed 2 million confirmed infections and 130,000 deaths worldwide.

 Story by Marian Ansah

Source: https://citinewsroom.com 

COVID-19: Chiefs, Residents kick against use of School as Isolation Centre at Brafoyaw

The Chiefs and people of Brafoyaw, a community in the Central Region, have kicked against the use of Aggrey Memorial Zion Senior High School as an isolation camp for COVID-19 patients.

According to the community, using the school as a facility for COVID-19 patients will endanger the lives of the people living in the community.

There were earlier reports in the media suggesting that Health Authorities have chosen the school as an isolation centre.

There was also speculation that the Effutu Senior High School and the St. Augustine's Senior High School were earmarked as isolation centres.

“We came into the school because we had an indication that the government has intentions using the school as a place of quarantine for COVID -19 patients and Aggrey Memorial is under my jurisdiction but as Chief of the area, our fear is that the school is closer to the community and if care is not taken it might spread into our communities,” Nana Atobrah Kesse VII the Chief of Brafoyaw told Citi News.

He added that although they are not preventing the government from using the facility it would be appropriate to rather use the Cape Coast Sports Stadium or the Sewdu Park which is out of town and has better facilities.

“We are not fighting against the government for the use of the school a place of quarantine but we want to plead with the government to instead use the two main sports stadiums the Cape Coast Sports Stadium and the Sewdu Park as COVID-19 centres and these facilities are good because they have enough space to cater for the patients.”

He also expressed hope that the government will listen to their plea.

“I believe this government is a listening government and will listen to our plea I have also told the community to remain calm. We only came here to pour out our grievances and I know it will yield result,” Nana Atobrah Kesse VII said.

Source: Calvis Tetteh | citinewsroom.com | Ghana

Young Ghanaian makes Solar Hand washing Machine to help Prevent COVID-19

A young Ghanaian manufacturer has manufactured a hand washing machine that u8ses solar energy to pump the machine to produce water for hand washing during the novel COVID-19 pandemic.

The young man who displayed his machine in a video said the system is used to help solve COPVID-19.

The machine has a solar panel that pumps the water as well as a liquid soap.

The soap is programmed to flow for 25 seconds purposely to help one soak the hands well with the soapy water.

The machine has an alarm that reminds the user of the number of seconds left for using the soapy water.

After 25 seconds, then the water flows by the help of a sensor, which prevents the user from touching the pipe.

Source: educationghana.net