President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) Angel Carbonu has highlighted the need to ensure the protection of teachers as they return to the classrooms.

According to Mr Carbonu, the move is critical in ensuring that the teachers are provided with a conducive environment to execute their mandate in the face of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

President Akufo-Addo on May 31 announce the reopening of schools for final years at the JHS, SHS and university levels to facilitate preparations towards their exit examinations.

This decision according to him, will be conducted amid the adherence to protocols recommended by health experts to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 including the provision of facemasks by government.

Acknowledging what he described as apprehension among the teachers following the directive, he called on government to do “everything that will ensure that teachers and students will not get infected.”

“It is even in the interest of teachers and children as well. When we realise that our lives will be in harm’s way we will have to alert ourselves and alert authorities of it,” he said on PM Express.

Citing incidents of potential transmission of the virus such as through the marking of exercises, the NAGRAT president quizzed on JoyNews: “will that be practical because once the student writes the exercises and the teacher marks, the possibility of transmission the disease is at a higher level.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Education Minister Dr Yaw Adutwum assured the teacher unions that the government will do everything possible to create an atmosphere for effective teaching and learning to thrive even as the country battles the spread of Covid-19.

“As we provide everything needed to protect our teachers, I also believe the President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo has made protection of the lives of his people as his number one goal and priority. He is therefore going to, under his leadership, make sure teachers get whatever that they need to make sure that they feel secure and safe, and reduce the level of apprehension,” Dr Adutwum said June 2.

Also speaking on the show, Public Health Expert, Dr John Amuasi also recommended that teachers at the frontline be afforded “some kind of insurance cover as well as the opportunity to access testing on some kind of scheduled basis” to help mitigate the impact of the virus on their lives as they respond to the call to duty.