"What's the essence of opening schools while the (Coronavirus) disease keep spreading?," Kwesi Pratt asks the government and education authorities in the country.
The COVID-19 infections have pumped fear in the country and particularly when the disease has affected varoius schools, many people have raised concerns over the sort of incorrigible habit of the government to close down the schools.
Following the President's announcement for schools to reopen and the pragmatic measures by the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service (GES) to enforce the COVID-19 safety protocols, some students and staff have however tested positive for the disease.
In Accra Girls' Senior High School alone, about 55 students and staff have reportedly tested positive for the disease, according to the Director-General of GEA, Prof. Kwasi Opoku Amankwah.
Other schools affected by the COVID-19 are Odorgonor, Konongo Wesley and Mfantsipim Senior High Schools.
A student at the KNUST SHS was also abandoned by the school authorities to die amidst speculations he had the disease.
Some parents of the school children as well as members of opposition parties, particularly the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to close the schools to salvage the situation but their calls have fallen on deaf ears.
Adding his voice to the incessant calls on the President, Kwesi Pratt noted that the academic calendar could be suspended till the disease is over or rather the final year students' performance could be examined using their continuous assessment without necessarily making them write their final exams.
He stated emphatically that nothing will happen to the students' education if they are called back home.
Mr. Pratt wondered why the students should remain in schools when there is an outbreak of the disease on the various campuses.
"I've pondered on it but simply cannot understand it. So, the leaders in Ghana, those with knowledge in education are all sitting aloof for this to be done. Look at the danger you're exposing the children to . . . Fighting the disease should be our top priority. It is more important than preparing our children for the next level of their education . . . the disease is more important than anything else. We can tackle any other thing after fighting against the disease," he told Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo'.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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This is a confused man. Highly confused and desperate person Pratt is now at his lowest ebb of his profession because of NDC And ironically he cant see the king of embarrassment he is creating for himself as a career journalist. He sided with NDC to agitate for the return of Ghanaians in China so i am not surprised at all that they have started the same thing again with the final years. He has lost his focus.The voter registration will surely come to a conclusive end, election 2020 too will come to past and nothing untoward will happen to Ama Ghana. By the grace of God Doomsayer Kwasi Pratt you better check yourself.
Humm.... ghana news is now all about COVID. God Bless us.
it is also important than the small small alowance given you at the various media houses so stay home and don't go and be part of any discussions and close your printing house too. massa gyae nsem huunu no
I find it very difficult to comprehend what Kwesi Pratt really makes of certain national issues. How I wished he could disparately make his views genuinely, devoid of playing his usual populistic card and cynicism. I hope, Kwesi is mindful of the fact that we have medication for malaria yet to date people still die of malaria and we live with it among other prevalent diseases. The point I'm trying to make here is that, no matter how much effort we make, there would always be a fallout. Not to mention Covid-19 which had been declared a pandemic by the WHO. Even the advanced economy like the US which could envisage the dangers such diseases like corona could pose on our lives was taken by surprise. I think given the nature of Covid-19 and its' complexities in terms of as to date the protocols backed by science to curtail its prevalence, our dear country Ghana and our President are not doing badly at all. Then, the mortality rate with respect to other statistics is relatively very low in Ghana and Kwesi cannot just play it down with pessimism and propaganda in favor of the ND
I dont see the interest of you guys and what you want to achieve. im not a politician but the truth of the matter is, by observing this school boys and girls at home is too vulnerable. because most of them are so stubborn that,they hang outside with their friends,girl friends without observing the protocols but atleast at boarding house their various authorities will check them to comply. infact, me this virus that because of power you guys pretend to say the truth very various dangerous and your suggestions sound more wicked .bcos of vanity glory,you guys lie. Master these confidential virus is very dangerous every where. Even ,most guys who critisize a lot, dont observe the protocols within the community. i guess you help the government to rather ensure wee smokers and uncilized ones within our society scartered outside to comply with the protocols and stop the boarding school matter.it wont help anyone. Go to the densely populated areas,not accra alone,i mean all the regions and see.citizens especially teenagers are too stubborn to comply.come to habor and see trailer drivers and their mates, same stubborness. cant all this people contract and transmit.then because of politics,knowing that your opponents are after something, then you spew lies. its better for the children to stay at school simple.the only thing im demanding for is for the government to allow their parents to visit them during weekends and during emergencies. very important.parents are more than doctors to their wards
Kwasi Pratt can withdraw his children and grand children from schools and keep quite.
@ Truth yes the NDC knows how to win elections and trash an economy after winning the election. So let them win and take us back to the IMF using the impact of covid as an excuse so restrictions will be imposed on recruitment and investment again. Cutting off your nose to spite your face. How some of you can even think of voting for a party who 5 months into the election has not told Ghanaians what they plan to do. They are deliberately delaying the release to reduce the scrutiny on the manifesto before the election. Floating voters will decide. Yes they know how to win elections but yet lost by almost 1 million votes whiles in power. Such loose talk.
Kwesi Pratt has gone to register and currently have hisvoter card in his possession yet he sits on radio and make these remarks. Why waste our ears on this disingenuous anti-Nana Addo and anti-NPP politician disguised as a journalist. Who doesn't know what Kwesi Pratt's stand for in our body-politics? Dye-in-a-wool NDC supporter. Please don't be deceived, go and register and also ensure that you vote against the 2nd coming of Mahama. The Mahama we rejected very well in 2016 due to his bad governance cannot by any stretch of imagination be an alternative to supposed failed Nana Addo. What has changed? Or it's just because we are so forgetful as Mahama himself alluded to? This administration has not met our expectation but are trying and given four more years, I suppose will do better.When asked why he went to register in the midst of his criticism, Pratt answered that he is motivated by his desire to go and vote for change. I call on those sitting on the fence to take the risk and go and register and vote against the return of Mahama. Your apathy today is automatic support for the return of Mahama. Don't be deceived.
Comment on the message he is churning out there and not attacking his personality. ***barred word*** we call citizens. The only good this politicians can do for us is to make our lives a bit easier for us. When it's the truth, let's all support it. Mahama did ***barred word*** too but he was shown the exit door and mark it Akuffo won't be an exception. He will be booted out. The NDC is not even making noise because the ongoing voters register is highly favoring them. They are really doing a good job out there and the NPP is just making decisions for the EC without doing the needed. NDC knows how to win elections. It's proven. Time will tell.
Those berating Kwesi Pratt don't get it at all! If a single relative of theirs gets the disease and they witness the devastation it wreaks then they will make those comments from an informed perspective! There is even an aspect of the disease we are all completely silent on: the long-term impact on the health of those who have survived. There are reports of permanent scarring of organs resulting in their degraded performance. There are reports of people gasping for breadth after climbing a few stairs! It makes HIV/AIDS look very lenient and almost friendly! So when we take in all that we won't be making comments out of iignorance. How do you even gamble with a disease that is extremely contagious and for which you have no cure? Two(2) cases-imported ones- have managed to send our case count to over 25000 in less than five months! Who needs telling that this is an extremely dangerous disease? As usual, let's play politics with this disease and very soon we will see our smoothness level!