Back to school for 9.2 million children, including 1.2 million first-time Kindergarten children UNICEF 26 January 2021 The scene is slightly different, but the sounds remain the same: last week schools reopened in Ghana for the first time since the first cases of coronavirus were identified in the country 10 months ago. Now, children and teachers wear nose masks, greater attention is given to washing hands with soap and running water, and seats are more widely spaced out. Yet the sense of vibrancy, optimism and peals of laughter all feel very familiar. Approximately eight million children - ranging from kindergarten through to senior high school – returned to the classroom last week, eager to adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols and to learn.