“I will be committing a sin if I ask that schools close down” – NAPO

Ghana’s current Minister for Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh popularly known as NAPO says it will be a sin for him to ask that schools close down in the country despite recorded COVID-19 cases in some schools.

The Education Minister who just recovered from the novel virus after he tested positive made this comment on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo show with Host Kwame Sefa Kayi monitored by Georgeweb.org Thursday.

The media spokesperson for Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh in a statement copied to Georgeweb.org said the Member of Parliament has been discharged from the UGMC hospital after he tested positive for COVID-19 that has claimed at least 129 lives as of the time writing this post.

Speaking in the interview the Education Minister said no student has contracted the novel disease in school, claiming that any student who will test positive for the virus brought it from home.

“To what extent should we close the schools? Nobody contracted the virus in the schools, they brought it from home. When you look at the protocols and consider isolation and quarantine, which place would be better to isolate and quarantine. For those saying we should close the schools, I don’t agree with them today or tomorrow. What is important is that the teachers and headmasters adhere to the protocols,”

“Kwame we reopened the schools to protect the students. Do you know what may happen to some of them when they are home? They could be opened up to rape predators and other vices. Some cannot even feed themselves so keeping them in school is better and even the school is the best place to isolate. I will be committing a sin if I ask that schools close down in the country because of some few cases”

Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh admitted that although the virus is real and so Ghanaians must play their part in slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus by adhering to the recommended safety protocols outlined by the Ghana Health Service and other health experts.

His comment follows calls from some concerned stakeholders and groups including the Minority in Parliament petitioning the government close down reopened schools across the country.

The Member of Parliament, however said it will be a sin for him to ask that schools close down in the country.

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He furthered that, apart from students continuing the academic work, their stay in school currently will protect them from rape and other social vices in the community.

Source: Georgeweb.org