5 Varsities present plans on Ebola to Education Ministry

Five universities have so far submitted contingency programmes on the dreaded Ebola Viral Disease, (EVD) to the Ministry of Education as recently directed by the ministry, while the others have promised to forward theirs to the ministry soon.

Those that have complied with the directive by the ministry are the University of Professional Studies, Accra; University of Energy and Natural Resources in Sunyani; University of Health & Allied Sciences, Ho; All Nations University (Koforidua) and Blue Crest University in Accra.

All the programmes are to be forwarded to the inter-ministerial committee on the EVD for validation by health experts.

Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra, the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary Education, Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, said the ministry was receiving some more programmes and as and when they were submitted, “We forwarded them to the inter-ministerial committee, made up of health experts and chaired by the Health Minister.’’

He indicated that the ministry had met with Vice-Chancellors of the country’s universities and reminded them of the urgency with which they were expected to submit their contingency plans.

The deputy minister said government, for its part, was almost ready to start the distribution of the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for frontline health practitioners in the tertiary institutions. 

“Government remains committed to its pledge to distribute the PPE to all frontline health personnel in the tertiary institutions,” he stressed.

Pre-tertiary

Mr Ablakwa said government was not concentrating only on the tertiary institutions on the issue of Ebola prevention, “we are convening a meeting on Monday to focus on the preparedness of pre-tertiary institutions.”

He said in line with the government’s effort to protect basic and second cycle schools from the EVD,  the authorities will meet stakeholders to discuss and strategise on the adoption of mitigating factors as well as develop a comprehensive operational response plan. 

He said the meeting would take place on Monday at the Education Village (NCTE Compound), East Legon, Accra.

Stakeholders 

Mr Ablakwa named the stakeholders as the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Ebola, representatives of the Ministry of Health,  GES Committee on Ebola/Cholera (Basic Education), Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools, all regional directors of Education and the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (Basic Private Schools) .

The rest are the Conference of Directors of Education (CODE), the National Parent Teacher Association and the Association of Principals of Technical Institutes.

Mr Ablakwa explained that the focus would be on educational materials, the dos and dont’s and how teachers could improve on their level of supervision.

Writer’s Email: severious.dery@graphic.com.gh