The Ghana Education Service (GES) has postponed the reopening date of single-track senior high schools (SHSs) from March 29, 2025 to April 23, 2025.
This adjustment was announced in a circular dated March 27, 2025, and sent to all regional education directors. The letter, issued by Prince C. Agyeman-Duah, Director of the Schools and Instructions Division, on behalf of the GES’s Acting Director-General, instructed regional directors to ensure that all relevant stakeholders received the information.
“By this letter, regional directors of education are requested to communicate this information to all heads of single-track senior high and senior high technical schools to inform parents, guardians, and students to take note of the new date and prepare accordingly,” according to the statement.
Reason for rescheduling
Students were originally slated to return on March 29, 2025, following their March 4 holiday. However, due to the Eid-Ul-Fitr public holidays on March 30 and 31, the reopening was initially scheduled for April 1, 2025. Further deliberations resulted in an extension until April 23, 2025.
According to a release from the Ministry of the Interior, Eid-Ul-Fitr falls on Sunday, March 30, 2025, and as a result, the President proclaimed Monday, March 31, 2025, and Tuesday, April 1, 2025, as additional public holidays via Executive Instrument (E.I.).
“However, in view of the fact that 30th March 2025 falls on a Sunday and in the interest of the public, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana, has by Executive Instrument (E.I.), in accordance with Section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act (Act 601), declared Monday, March 31, 2025, and Tuesday, April 1, 2025, as additional public holidays and should be observed as such throughout the country,” according to a statement.
GES clarifies the decision.
Cassandra Twum-Ampofo of the GES Public Relations Unit confirmed the adjustment, stating that reopening schools soon before a series of vacations would not be ideal since it would expose pupils to extra travel hazards.
“Monday and Tuesday had been proclaimed statutory vacations, and there would be an Easter break shortly after they returned. It would not be prudent to enable pupils to go back and forth, given the hazards,” she explained.
To maintain a seamless instructional session, GES administration opted to change the academic schedule.
When queried about the implications of the delay on final-year students studying for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Ms Twum-Ampofo informed them that plans were in place to compensate for lost teaching time.
“There is always an instructional hour added to make up for breaks of this nature,” she said, saying that holidays like Eid al-Fitr and Easter cannot be avoided.
“So, it isn’t something new. The only problem is that we didn’t want to be in a situation where they came on Monday, Tuesday, there was a holiday, and then there was an Easter break,” she said.
She went on to say that the change only affects single-track SHSs; double-track pupils would continue with their regular academic schedule.
