The Ghana Education Service (GES) has made a change to the reopening date for Senior High School (SHS) Form One students, pushing it to September 25, 2023. This adjustment deviates from the initial announcement that students should report to school on September 18, 2023. The decision was communicated through a letter signed by the Acting Director of the Schools and Instructions Division of the GES, Prince C. Agyemang-Duah, addressed to all regional directors. It instructed school heads 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.
Prince C. Agyemang-Duah clarified the reason behind this change, pointing out that the double-track system necessitated the shift in date. Maintaining the original date might have strained school resources in accommodating all the students at once. He also noted that by September 25, most final year students would have completed their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) papers and left school. Consequently, the number of final year students remaining in school by that date would be reduced, minimizing any accommodation issues.
Additionally, the GES had previously released the 2023 academic calendar for pre-tertiary institutions, including kindergarten, primary, junior high, and senior high schools. The calendar outlined the contact hours for different forms and their corresponding term dates. These adjustments in reopening dates were part of a comprehensive plan to manage school resources and student schedules efficiently.
