Senior high/technical school freshers will begin their second cycle education on September 18, 2026 as the adjusted pre-tertiary education calendar hits a second straight year this year.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has consequently assured all Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduates that comprehensive preparations and arrangements have been made to receive them for the next phase of their education.
It also indicated that all BECE candidates who would qualify for SHS or the technical version would be placed into second cycle schools.
“Every effort has been made to ensure that each student has access to senior high/technical education,” a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations Unit of the GES, Daniel Fenyi, said last Thursday.
The return to school in September will be the second time, post-COVID, that second cycle students would officially begin the academic year in September, affirming the reinstated calendar as was the case previously.
Report
The GES statement said a report circulating in sections of the media suggesting that about 72,000 students risked not being placed was speculative and did not reflect the reality.
“We, therefore, urge the public to disregard it.
“There are adequate infrastructure and facilities to accommodate all qualified students,” the statement said.
Further, it said management would like to assure stakeholders that the ongoing efforts to phase out the double-track system would not in any way hinder students’ access to senior high/technical education.
It said it would rather improve the quality of teaching and learning while maintaining full access for all students.
“The Ghana Education Service remains committed to equitable, inclusive and quality education for every Ghanaian child, and calls on all stakeholders to support this shared national objective,” it said.
Academic calendar
Meanwhile, the GES has released the approved academic calendar for the 2026/2027 academic year for all basic schools, including kindergarten, primary and junior high schools.
In an earlier statement signed by the Head of its Public Relations Unit, the GES outlined the reopening and closing dates for all three terms, as well as the scheduled dates for the BECE for 2027.
The calendar indicated that the first term would commence on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, and end on Thursday, December 17, 2026.
Students will enjoy a mid-term break of two days on November 5 and 6, 2026.
The first-term vacation will run from December 18, 2026 to January 4, 2027.
The second term is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, January 5, 2027, and end on Thursday, March 25, 2027.
The vacation for the second term will run from March 26, 2027 to April 19, 2027.
The third and final term will reopen on Tuesday, April 20, 2027, and close on Thursday, July 22, 2027, marking the end of the 2026/2027 academic year.
BECE
The BECE has been scheduled to take place from Wednesday, May 5 to Wednesday, May 12, 2027.
The GES reminded all stakeholders that public holidays within the academic year were to be observed accordingly.
Additionally, a two-day mid-term break will be observed in each term for all basic schools.
Disruption
The basic school and pre-tertiary academic calendar was disrupted by the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country in 2020.
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.
After operating a transitional calendar in 2021 and 2022 with the school year starting from January to December, the GES began the process to return to the former calendar, beginning from October 3, 2023.
