Instead of reporting to school on September 18, 2023, as earlier announced, a letter signed by the Ag. Director, Schools and Instructions Division of the GES, Prince C. Agyemang-Duah, to all regional directors directed heads of schools to take note of the new reopening date.

“By this letter, regional directors of education are requested to communicate this information to all heads of senior high and senior high technical schools to inform parents/guardians and students to take note of the new date and prepare accordingly,” it said.

Reason

Throwing more light on the change of date, Mr Agyemang-Duah explained that because of the double track system, if the original date was made to stand, the schools might not be able to contain the number of students at a time.

He added that even though the last paper of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) would be written on September 26, “most of the final year students would have finished writing and left.”

Mr Agyemang-Duah explained that the number of final year students who would remain in school by September 25 would have reduced and therefore would have no effect on accommodation.

“So, after consultation with the Director-General of the GES, we agreed to shift the reopening date to September 25 to make room for the final year students to complete their examination,” he explained. 

Calendar

In January this year, the GES released the 2023 academic calendar for pre-tertiary institutions – kindergarten, primary, junior high and senior high schools.

Under the Transitional Academic Calendar for Double Track SHSs, it indicated that Form Three students were to undergo 1,360 contact hours, with Form Two students doing 1,200 hours and Form One students, 1,080 hours.

The calendar also revealed that Form Three students would return to school from January 10, 2023, to April 05, 2023, for the first term.

They would then go on break from April 6, 2023, to April 16, 2023, while the second term would start from April 17, 2023, to June 1.

The final year students were again expected to vacate from June 2, 2023, to June 8, 2023, while the third term was scheduled for June 9, 2023, to September 15, 2023, to end the academic year.

Form Two

For Form Two students, they were supposed to be in school from January 10, 2023, to February 17, 2023, and then go on break from February 18, 2023, to April 10, 2023.

The second term commenced from April 11, 2023, to June 1, 2023, to pave the way for vacation from June 2, 2023, to August 11, 2023.

Students were expected to resume the third term from August 14, 2023, to November 30, 2023, to end the academic year.

Freshers

Moreover, all Form One students were supposed to be in school from February 20, 2023, to April 13, 2023, and go on break from April 14, 2023, to June 8, 2023.

The second term started from June 9, 2023, to August 10, 2023, allowing for a break from August 11, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

The third term was originally fixed for September 18, 2023, to November 30, 2023, to end the academic year.

Single track schools

Per the calendar for the single track for SHS, Form Three students were to undertake 1,360 contact hours, with Form Two students doing 1,280 contact hours and Form Ones 1,120 contact hours.

It indicated that the Form Three students began the first term from January 10, 2023, to April 5, 2023, and went on break from April 6, 2023, to April 16, 2023, while the second term was from April 17, 2023, to June 1, 2023.

They, however, went on break from June 2, 2023, to June 8, 2023, with the third term starting from June 9, 2023, to September 15, 2023, to end the academic year.

The Form Two students on the other hand, had their first term from January 10, 2023, to April 5, 2023, and took a break from April 6, 2023, to April 16, 2023.

Their second term started from August 17, 2023, to August 25, 2023.

The first term of Form One students was also from February 20, 2023, to April 5, 2023, followed by a break from April 6, 2023, to April 16, 2023, with the second term starting from April 17, 2023, to September 15, 2023.