UG students elated by decision to keep them off campus despite easing of restrictions

Spontaneous jubilation by final year students at the University of Ghana greeted the announcement by management that it will continue and end the second semester with its online teaching and learning arrangement.

This follows President Akufo-Addo’s decision to re-open schools for final year JHS, SHS and university students to prepare ahead of their exit examinations.

In his 10th address to the nation on measures taken so far to combat the spread of Covid-19, the President said “From Monday, 15th June, 2020, the decision has been taken, after engagement with the Teacher Unions, whose co-operation I salute, to re-open schools and universities to allow for final-year junior high, senior high and university students to resume classes ahead of the conduct of their respective exit examinations.

But a statement by the university June 4 disclosed that the rest of the academic work will be carried out online as earlier planned with exceptions for final year students with peculiar challenges.

This announcement came off as good news to many of these students with some chanting songs of praise for the university administration.

“When the president first gave the directive for I was so heartbroken because the pandemic was still in town and the risk of me getting it was very high… So when the email came I was very happy about the Vice-Chancellor’s decision,” an elated level 400 lady told student journalist Manuel Koranteng.

The statement by the university management sighted by JoyNews revealed that: “the university’s ongoing Online Teaching and Learning Programme for the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic year will progress as planned,” Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof Nana Aba Appiah Amfo said.

This means that examinations for all students, including final year students, scheduled to commence from June 8 to July 3, 2020 will “proceed as originally planned.”