The Ghana Education Service (GES) has stated that senior high schools nationwide will reopen in October for the 2025/2026 academic year. The academic calendar will follow a single track and a modified double track system, referred to as transitional academic calendars.
In a circular issued on August 20, 2025, and signed by the Director of Schools and Instructions Division, Mr. Prince C. Agyemang-Duah, the GES directed Regional Directors to ensure that heads of schools adhere to the new schedules. Under the system, first-year and second-year students are to report on October 18, 2025, while third-year students will resume earlier on October 11, 2025.
The first term will run until February 27, 2026, with a Christmas break set for December 20, 2025, to January 4, 2026. The second term will begin on May 4, 2026, and close on August 21, 2026. For the double-track schools operating the transitional calendar, the timetable is slightly different. First-year students will reopen on October 18, 2025, while third-year students will return on October 27, 2025.
Second-year students are expected back on January 5, 2026, for a blended term that will include five weeks of online learning before fully resuming in May. Mr. Agyemang-Duah also indicated that the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will take place from April 20 to June 20, 2026.
The circular noted that December 20 to 22, 2025, has been set aside as a travel period ahead of the Christmas break. The 2026/2027 academic year is expected to begin on September 11, 2026. According to the GES, the academic calendars are intended to provide consistency and smooth running of the school year across all second-cycle institutions.
Below is a copy of the circular:
Source: Mohammed Ali
