Junior High Schools in Ghana will from Monday, January 18, 2021, run a semester system.

This was disclosed by the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa.

Speaking at a press briefing on the measures put in place for the reopening of schools held by the Ministry of Education, Professor Opoku-Amankwa said, “JHS will be running semester programs this time around. We will make sure that the basic protocols are observed. We will provide reusable face masks. Schools will not be available for outside activities.”

“They will start from January 18 to June 11. They will then go for a break. The second semester will begin on July 6 for examination. The form ones and twos on the other hand will end the academic year on December 7, but because this will be a long period, we have set up mid-semester breaks. We will have March 15 to 19, 2021 for the first-semester mid-semester break and the second-semester mid-semester break will be from September 6 to 10, 2021.”

He added that pupils in Kindergarten and primary schools will, however, continue with their trimester system.

“School will start from January 18 to April 16. They will then have April 17 to May 3rd as their break period. Their second term, however, will begin from May 4 to August 6. Their break will be from August 7 to September 5. Their third term will begin from September 6 to December 10.”

On Senior High School education, Professor Opoku-Amankwa indicated that “we have prepared the calendar to capture the time lost while the students stayed at home. We now have what is called the all-year-round calendar. It starts from January to December. We expect that examinations will be written between September and October, after which the year will end. There will be double-track for the second years. As the president indicated, we are phasing out the system.”

He also noted that “TV, radio, and online classes will still continue to augment the face to face teaching and learning.”

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday, January 3, 2021, directed that Ghanaian students at all levels of education return to schools as part of the government’s strategic efforts to ease the COVID-19 induced restrictions on educational activities.