MY FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL" OBSERVED IN THE GA EAST MUNICIPALITY - MCE SAYS FIGHTING COVID-19 IS A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Ga East Municipal Assembly (GEMA), Abokobi, Hon. Janet Tulasi Mensah, says our collective responsibility will help curtail the spread of the deadly Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the country. She made this remark when she toured some Public Basic Schools to mark "My First Day At School).

 

The annual event, which is used to welcome new entrants into schools at the basic level, was marked in the Ga East Municipality on Tuesday, 19th January, 2021, following the reopening of schools on Monday.

 

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) toured four (4) Public Basic Schools, namely; Ashongman Presby at Old Ashongman, Papao Community Presby at Papao, Kwabenya-Atomic M/A at Atomic, and Kwabenya M/A.

 

She was accompanied by the Presiding Member (PM), Hon. Jesse Nii Noi Anum, and Municipal Director of Education, Ms. Faustina Alimatu Braimah, among other officials from the Assembly and the Education Directorate.

 

Upon arrival at the schools, it was observed that the various COVID-19 preventive protocols were strictly being adhered to with Veronica Buckets with soaps positioned at vantage points on the school compounds for easy access while the pupils and teachers were in their face masks as well as social distancing enforced in the classrooms.

 

Hon. Janet Tulasi Mensah interacted with both the pupils, teachers and health personnel assigned to the various schools in line with the "My Fist Day At School" practices and as part of the measures to facilitate the prevention of the spread of the COVID-19 in the schools.

 

She presented items such as pencils, erasers, crayons, sanitizers, exercise books, and covered plastic cups, with the support of the Hon. PM and MDE, as a token from His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya Constituency, Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, to motivate them to remain in school and learn.

 

Hon. MCE and her entourage also presented various Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including Tissues, Sanitizers and Liquid Soaps received from Government and some provided by the Assembly.

 

The Headteachers of the aforementioned schools received the items on behalf of their respective schools and thanked the Government through the Hon. MCE for such the kind gesture and further assured her that the items will be used for their intended purposes.

 

Hon. Janet Tulasi Mensah, speaking to the media after the tour called for a concerted effort to fight COVID-19, observing that many Ghanaians have taken the virus for granted.

 

"The Coronavirus is very real and not a myth. COVID-19 is real and every individual has a responsibility to perform to help curb the spread of the virus'', she emphasizd.

 

The Hon. MCE further advised the Teachers to be patient with the children since most of them are now adapting to the safety protocols and the new environment they find themselves in.

 

She also took time to demonstrate to the pupils how to wear the face masks and use of the hand sanitizers and cautioned them not to exchange their face masks and also observe social distancing to help suppress the virus.

 

The Municipal Director of Education (MDE), Ms. Faustina Alimatu Braimah, observed that some of the classrooms cannot contain the population and it was imperative for them to observe social distancing.

 

 

In this regard, she hinted of a plan to engage churches within the prescints of the affected schools to use their auditoriums as makeshift classrooms.

 

''We would talk to  churches nearby so that they can allow us to use their premises temporarily  while we write to authorities seeking for the expansion of our classrooms'', she disclosed.

 

She also assured that the Directorate has a plan to monitor all schools in the Municipality, including Private Schools, to enforce and ensure compliance to the preventive protocols.

 

Madam Alimatu Braimah further entreated the teachers to manage the PPE available to them as measures have been put in place to acquire more.