A former Education Minister is asking government and schools to have a long term measure of dealing with the pandemic in schools before they are reopened.

Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang recounted going to thousands of schools unannounced where she saw many things missing.

"They have become more visible even as we are faced with a pandemic. You go to a school and there is no washroom and other facilities…so that is a fundamental provision that must be provided,” she said on 'Prime Morning' on Joy Prime, Tuesday.

According to her, although observing the immediate health protocols is a must, the health of students could be compromised, if some schools are lacking in some of the most basic facilities – that should have already existed.

Prof Opoku Agyemang told Daniel Dadzie, host of the show, that many schools, especially the public basic schools, are faced with inequality when it comes to access to education and educational facilities.

The former Education Minister stated that since schools were closed, there has been discussion around when and how students should be allowed to go to school.

It is important for the numerous ideas shared to be collated by the Education Ministry to help them deal with the concerns and find innovative ways to reopening schools, she said.

She explained that before the government could open schools, there is a need for them to fix the gabs which called for the closure of schools when Ghana began recording coronavirus cases.

“Look at their environment and in planning, the areas (lacking) should be of critical importance to us, it should be an area that we prioritise.”

“So, as we think of the immediate measures, the water, the distancing and so on, we should also immediately start planning for the medium term and for the long term, otherwise it is going to be an exercise in futility,” Prof Opoku Agyemang said.