Education Minister: We’re Not Imposing New Calendar On Private Schools

The new semester calendar is expected to have a comprehensive academic year that will address challenges regarding dates and timelines of school activities and bring respite to parents
Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education has said private schools are at liberty to operate their own trimester system despite a change in academic calendar for public schools.

The new semester calendar is expected to have a comprehensive academic year that will address challenges regarding dates and timelines of school activities and bring respite to parents.

Speaking with Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (18 January), Dr. Adutwum said: “The private schools, most of them are doing their trimester, we don’t have any problem with it, we don’t mandate our calendar for private schools.”

“So if you are a private school and you are doing your trimester, nobody will ask you why are you doing the trimester. They have the freedom to do whatever calendar is suitable for the parents of the school at the private level.”

He added: “The only issue is that you have to make certain instructional hours so that the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA) will certify… but the government is not imposing a calendar on private schools, private schools are free to use their trimester system.”

Background

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that all public basic schools in the country will reopen on Tuesday 18 January to begin the 2022 academic year.

In a statement released by the public relations unit, GES indicated that second and third-year senior high school students are to resume on 7 February 2022, while a provisional date of 4 April 2022 has been set for SHS One students.

“The Ghana Education Service announces to the general public particularly parents, teachers and pupils/students of public KG-primary, JHS, and second cycle schools that the reopening of schools are approved by the Minister for Education upon the recommendation of the Ministerial committee of school’s calendar,” the statement said.

Originally, schools were supposed to reopen on Tuesday 11 January 2022, but had to be rescheduled to 18 January.

The new calendar is expected to have a comprehensive academic year that will address challenges regarding dates and timelines of school activities and bring respite to parents.

“The full calendar for the 2022 academic year for pre tertiary public schools will be made available at various media platforms, MoE/GES websites and other social media handles,” the statement concluded.

Fred Dzakpata-asaaseradio.com