The National Council of Parent-Teacher Association says in order for boarding students to stay in touch with their parents and guardians, they should be allowed to carry along feature phones.
The council says this will allow parents easy access to their wards, especially amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.
It argued that with the directive that parents cannot visit their wards when schools reopen, such an alternative means of communication must be allowed.
President of the National Council of Parent-Teacher Association, Alexander Danso called on the government to consider their request.
“Barring their parents from visiting them is quite unfortunate but I understand them because if you allow parents to be going at this time of the COVID-19 outbreak [it won’t be the best]. If they are not allowing parents to visit, at least they should allow the students to carry feature phones only for calls and SMS so that they will be able to interact with their parents because staying in one place without seeing your child for 11 weeks will be a problem,” he said.
As part of the first phase of easing of COVID-19 restrictions, President Nana Akufo-Addo on Sunday, May 31, 2020, announced that schools be reopened to final year students to enable them to prepare for and write their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The Minister for Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh at a subsequent press conference to give guidelines for the reopening of schools said the students will be in school for 11 weeks to study and write the examination.
He added that within the period, no parent or guardian would be allowed to visit students as the government wants to avoid external contacts due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Some parents have expressed their dissatisfaction about the measure but others have welcomed it and are urging the government to find alternative ways for them to communicate with their wards in a safe manner.
Source: citinewsroom.com
