The Ghana Education Service (GES) has officially postponed the reopening date for single-track Senior High Schools (SHSs) from March 29, 2025, to April 23, 2025.
This change was communicated in an official circular from the GES.
According to the circular dated March 27, 2025, the GES instructed regional directors of education to inform all heads of single-track and senior high technical schools about the new date.
The directive, signed by Prince C. Agyeman-Duah, Director of the Schools and Instructions Division, on behalf of the Acting Director-General of the GES, urged schools to notify parents, guardians, and students to prepare accordingly.
The initial reopening date was postponed due to the Eid-Ul-Fitr public holidays on March 30 and 31, 2025, which had initially shifted the reopening to April 1, 2025.
The GES deemed it impractical for students to travel back and forth during the holiday period, considering the associated risks.
Following further assessment, the GES decided to extend the reopening date to April 23 to ensure a smoother academic schedule.
Cassandra Twum-Ampofo, from the GES Public Relations Unit, assured Graphic Online that reopening schools just before a series of holidays would not be ideal.
She also stated that measures are in place to compensate for any lost instructional time, particularly for final-year students preparing for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The GES considered the travel risks that students might encounter.
Twum-Ampofo explained, “Monday and Tuesday have been declared statutory holidays, and just after they return, there will be a break for Easter celebrations. It would not be prudent for students to travel back and forth, considering the risks involved.”
When asked about the impact of the delay on final-year students preparing for the WASSCE, Twum-Ampofo said that the lost instructional time would be accounted for.
She noted that instructional hours are typically added to make up for breaks of this nature.
“So, this is not something new. The only concern was that we didn’t want a situation where students return on Monday and Tuesday, only to have another break for Easter,” she added.
The GES operates both double-track and single-track schools to address infrastructure challenges brought on by the Free SHS policy.
The double-track system was introduced in 2018 to facilitate the Free SHS program, prevent overcrowding, and accommodate increased enrollment.
When the policy was introduced, the government emphasized that “no qualified child should be left behind.”
The Ministry of Education argued that this system allows for increased contact hours between teachers and students, giving teachers more time to complete the syllabus.
The double-track school calendar also aims to reduce congestion in schools, leading to smaller class sizes.
The Ghana Education Service has also announced the dates for the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the WASSCE for school candidates.
The service shared the examination schedules and emphasised the importance of timely preparation.
The BECE will take place from June 9 to June 16, 2025, while the WASSCE will be held from August 4 to September 19, 2025.
The revised reopening date applies only to single-track SHSs, while double-track schools remain unaffected and will continue their academic calendar as scheduled.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
