Education Ministry reinstates trimester academic system for basic schools

The Ministry of Education has reinstated the trimester academic system for basic schools from kindergarten to Junior High School.

The Ministry, in a press release copied to the Ghana News Agency, said it had arrived at the decision after its engagements with a section of the public and key educational stakeholders on the re-instatement of the trimester system.

In the reinstated trimester system, the academic year will commence on January 18 to April 14, 2022, for the first term, with vacation from April 15 to May 9, 2022.

The second term starts from May 10 to August 18, 2022, with vacation from August 19 to September 12, 2022.

The third term would commence on September 13 to December 22, 2022.

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, last year, constituted a Ministerial Committee on Academic Calendar for schools.

The committee, headed by Mr John Ntim Fordjour, a Deputy Minister of Education, was tasked to develop an academic calendar for public schools, looking at examinations, vacations and reopening dates from 2022 to 2024.

The committee had representation from the Ministry, GES, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), among others.

The new calendar developed by the Committee introduced a semester system for basic schools to replace the trimester system.

The new system, however, received objections from some educational actors, including teacher unions.

They argued the Ministry did not consult them before deciding on the semester system.

They said the long stay and contact hours in the semester practice would adversely affect the health of students and teachers.

Source: GNA