GES urged to reconsider semester calendar for basic schools

The recent decision by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to introduce a semester-based academic calendar for pre-tertiary educational institutions, especially basic schools, appears not to have gone down well with many people.

As a result, a lot of concerns are being raised about the possible implications of the new directive on teaching and learning.

Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, believes that it will be in the interest of the country if the GES reconsiders its decision to roll-out the semester-based academic calendar at the basic level.

“It is very well understood that the COVID-19 pandemic had a very adverse effect on our educational system in 2020 when all schools had to close down in March 2020 till January 2021. It brought about the loss of almost one academic year and we acknowledge the efforts government through the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service made to normalise the school calendar,” he said in a release.

Wrong move

He however thinks that the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service are getting it wrong in fixing the academic calendar for basic schools in the country.

He stated: “It is interesting to note that a technical committee was set up by the Minister of Education under the chairmanship of the Deputy Minister instead of the professionals, the Director-General himself or any of his two deputies.”

“This committee was to propose the calendar for the approval of the Minister. This is one reason why the release of dates for the academic calendar delayed. Why should the Ministry of Education take over the responsibility of the Ghana Education Service in the preparation of a common academic calendar? Is the Ministry of Education becoming the policy making body and the implementer at the same time?”

Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe reckons that the outcome of the work of the technical committee is the introduction of the semester type of academic calendar in basic schools, from Kindergarten to the Junior High School (JHS).

Withdraw

He recalled that the semester-based system was first introduced at the JHS level last year with the explanation that it was aimed at making the students and teachers cover what was lost as contact hours in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is also now clear that our academic year begins from January and ends in December per the new academic calendar. That arrangement by itself has a lot of ramifications for the students/pupils and teachers with respect to examinations calendar of the West African Examination Council for the year,” he noted.

The Ranking Member believes that considering the age bracket of pupils at the basic level of education, especially kindergarten and nursery pupils, it would be in the interest of the country’s education sector if GES withdraws the semester-based academic calendar for basic schools.