The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed all heads of senior high and technical schools across the country to keep students in schools during the mid-term break, which starts Tuesday, July 20.

A statement signed by Dr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh, the Deputy Director-General, GES, copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the directive was to help protect the students against the COVID-19 and the spread of the virus on the various campuses.

"Mid Semester break should be observed in schools with no academic activity. Academic work should resume on Monday, July 26, 2021," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, in a statement, said in the midst of the current outbreak of COVID-19 in some schools, the mid-term break may present a challenge to the already precarious situation and present challenges to containing existing outbreaks in schools.

The GES had earlier issued a statement directing all head of SHSs and Technical schools to allow their Form three students to go on a mid-term break from July 20 to Sunday, July 25, 2021.

The earlier letter, however, said: "Students who do not wish to go home or find it difficult to go home should be allowed to remain in the school and heads are to ensure that they are fed and follow all school rules."