2023/2024 Senior High School (SHS) Academic Calendar: First-Year Students’ Reporting Date Set for December 4

In the 2023/2024 academic calendar for pre-tertiary institutions in Ghana, there are various schedules for different student groups:

1. First-year Senior High School (SHS) students awaiting their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results will report to school on December 4, 2023, which applies to both single and double-track students.
2. Forms Two and Three students under the single-track system started school on November 1, 2023, and will continue until March 5, 2024.
3. For Form One students, there is a transitional calendar for double-track students. They will attend school from December 4, 2023, to March 5, 2024. They will return on May 13, 2024, until July 9, 2024. Then they’ll have a break on July 10, 2024, and reopen on September 3 until November 15, 2024.
4. Single-track students will be in school from December 4 until March 15, 2024, and then have a vacation from March 16 to May 2, 2024. The second semester will begin on May 3, 2024, and end on August 28, 2024.
5. Form Two and Form Three students under the single-track system started on November 1, 2023, and will continue until March 5, 2024. They’ll have a break from March 6 to May 2, 2024, and return for the second semester, which lasts until August 28, 2024.
6. Form Two students under the double-track system will start the first semester on March 8, 2024, and end on May 9, 2024. The second semester will begin on July 12, 2024, and conclude on November 15, 2024.
7. The Christmas break will be from December 21, 2023, to January 2, 2024, and the Easter break will be between March 29 and April 16, 2024.
8. Form Three students under the double track system will start their first semester on January 3, 2024, and end on March 28, 2024. The second semester begins from April 17 until August 23, 2024.
9. Basic schools will be in session for 12 weeks from October 3 to December 22, 2023. They’ll have a vacation from December 23, 2023, to January 8, 2024. The second term runs for 14 weeks from January 9, 2024, to April 11, 2024. Another break is from April 12 to 29, 2024. The third term starts on April 30, and Form One and Form Two students will be in school until July 25, 2024, totaling 39 weeks of contact.

This calendar has sparked discussions regarding its feasibility, with some concerns about different start dates for various student groups. The Ghana Education Service assures that the Computerized Schools Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) will help ensure a smooth implementation. However, some stakeholders find the calendar’s complexity challenging for parents to understand and question the different academic year end dates for single and double tracks.