Academic calendar will be out this week – MoE

A comprehensive academic calendar for schools would be released within this week to lay to rest the agitation surrounding the reopening of public schools, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has assured.

A spokesperson of the Ministry, Mr Kwasi Kwarteng told the Ghanaian Times yesterday that a ministerial committee set up to develop the calendar for the year 2024 had completed its work.

“The draft report is ready, but within the week we will have the final report and communicate to the public”, he said, describing dates, circulating on social media as unconfirmed.

The uncertainty in the reopening dates for public schools has created apprehensive amongst parents who feel their children had been left behind as their mates in private schools had already re-opened.

Before schools vacated for the Christmas break last month, some parents claim they were told that the basic schools would resume this week, but they were later asked to wait for confirmation of the dates.

Reacting to the delay in the announcement of new dates, Mr Kwarteng explained that the ministry was working to release a calendar that would correct the discrepancies and inconsistencies by the COVID-19 restrictions and other factors.

He said these had changed the times for external examinations like the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) admissions into schools.

He said it was against this backdrop that the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum set up the committee, headed by one of his deputies; Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, to find a lasting solution.

He said the committee which has representatives from the Ghana Education Service, The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and the conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) would come out with a calendar for this year to 2024.