Basic schools re-open tomorrow …as GES reverses to original calendar

Basic schools in the country are expected to reopen for the commencement of the 2024/2025 academic year tomorrow.

This will officially restore the academic calendar for basic school to September four years after it was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A spokesperson at the Ghana Education Service (GES) told the Ghanaian Times that the decision was to normalise the academic calendar and ensure smooth operationalisation of the calendar.

The 2024/2025 calendar released by the GES revealed that kindergarten (KG), primary and junior high school (JHS) pupils would spend a total of 15 weeks for the first term, which officially starts tomorrow.

The term, however, would end on December 18, 2024, with schools vacating on December 19, 2024. Furthermore, the second term of the academic year would commence from January 7, 2025, and close on April 16, 2025.

Students and pupils would then go on vacation on Thursday, April 17, 2025, having spent another 15 weeks in school.

Also schools would again reopen for the third term on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, and pupils would stay in school until July 24, 2025, when the academic calendar or year ends.

In all, the schoolchildren are expected to spend 12 weeks in the third term.

From 2021 to 2022, the academic calendar for basic and senior high schools was rescheduled for January to December after schools were closed in March 2020 as part of measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Management of the Ghana Education Service wishes to inform you that the reopening date for basic schools (kindergarten, primary and junior high schools) across the country for the first term of the 2023/2024 academic year is October 3, 2023,” a memo signed and issued by the Deputy Director-General of the GES in charge of Quality and Access, Dr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh, said

BY TIMES REPORTER