President Nana Akufo Addo has announced all tertiary schools in the country will resume normal school activities in January 2021.
He made this known in his 18th coronavirus update to the country on Sunday, October 18, 2020, .
According to the president, the academic year will begin for new and continuing students.
“SHS 2 and JHS 2 students are back in school, as are some students in tertiary institutions and colleges. Indeed, the academic year for new and continuing University students will commence from January 2021.”
All schools in Ghana were closed on March 15, 2020, as part of the government’s measures to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Since regulations eased up, educational institutions have been reopened in phases for final year students to complete their academic as well as continuing students to complete the academic year.
Meanwhile private universities say they may collapse or be forced to shut down if school does not reopen anytime soon.
The Association of Private Universities in Ghana has sent an urgent message to the government over the imminent collapse of the institutions under it if nothing is done to address the challenges they face.
Vice-Chairman of the Association, Professor Daniel Bediako had earlier said the outbreak of the coronavirus and its consequent restrictions on the educational sector has greatly affected private universities.
“Private universities largely depend on students fees to survive and most of these institutions I can say; over 90 percent of them are really struggling. Most of us are actually on the brink of collapse. Valley View University for example employs over 800 workers which means that we support over 800 families. Should we continue not to reopen, I don’t know what to tell my workers. If I want them to go home, they will blame me and someone else. So we are actually on our knees,” he said.
