SINCE it was first identified in Wuhan, the Coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on the daily activities of countries around the world. The severity of the pandemic forced governments to lock down their countries and cities, writes Sylvester Opoku-Gyamfi.
In Ghana the Ministry of Health reported the country’s first two cases of Covid-19 on March 12. In a televised state address on March 15, the government banned all public gatherings and ordered the closure of all schools and universities. Further measures were also taken to curb the spread of the virus. On March 23 Ghana’s borders were closed and unapproved entry points were secured by security personnel and the government imposed a partial lockdown in Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi on March 30.
As well as posing a threat to the health of the population, the pandemic also impacted negatively on Ghana’s economic and educational activities. Although, the Ghana National Association of Teachers(GNAT) declared that ‘The Coronavirus pandemic is not just a threat to education but a major opportunity to reshape teaching and learning in the country.
Indeed, the closure of schools, colleges and universities led to innovative ways of continuing the education of the nation’s students. Technology was integrated into the education system, with universities adopting online lectures and other Learning Management Systems (LMS) to enable students to complete their semester. Privately owned schools rolled out online teaching and learning for their students. A shortfall in internet connectivity across the country prompted the government to task the Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Education and the national broadcaster Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to develop educational content on radio and television in order to reach pupils and students who have no access to the internet.
Parents with the financial means have employed teachers to teach their children at home. Less affluent parents, however, do not have this option and their children have had to continue their education via television or radio.
The pandemic has raised a lot of questions around the system and the structure of education in Ghana. Stakeholders are planning to reshape the education system to withstand any future disruptions by moving pedagogy online. However, many people do not have access to the internet, or to smartphones, computers and the other ICT tools used in teaching and learning. And many communities are not connected to the national grid, making it difficult for the Ghana Education Service to reach all students.
Talking recently with a final year Junior High School student on the impact of Covid-19 on her education, she explained to me: ‘When Nana (The President of Ghana) said we should stay home I have not had the opportunity to learn as I used to do when we were going to school, I am hoping we will go back to school soon and write our final exams.’
At the time of writing this article, the government of Ghana (in consultation with teacher unions in the country) had reopened schools and universities to allow final year pupils and students to write their Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE), West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination(WASSCE) and Tertiary Education Examination – with students and institutions having to adhere to the government-mandated Covid-19 protocols. The government anticipates allowing Primary 4-6, Junior High School 1,2, Senior High School 1,2 and Tertiary students to return to school as of September.
The Parent and Teacher Association of Ghana (PTA-GH) believes that the government has to be responsible and accountable for its decision to reopen schools and universities and it remains to be seen how successful the gradual reopening will be.
Whatever the coming months bring, one question remains: how can the Ghana education system be reshaped to withstand another crisis such as Covid-19, so as to provide education for all the nation’s students?