Teacher union kicks against GES 2023/2024 SHS academic calendar

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) says it will direct its members to take a break from work if the Ministry of Education does not revert the 2023/2024 Senior High School (SHS) academic calendar to the trimester system.

NAGRAT’s threat is in reaction to the new academic calendar for which form two and three students under the single-track system began their academic year on November 1 and are scheduled to conclude on March 6, 2024.

President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu said form two students under the double track system are expected to commence on March 8 and continue until May 9, thus leaving little room for teachers to have their well-deserved rest.

In an interview monitored by Thisterm.com, the President of the Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) said his outfit may be forced to withdraw its members if the central government fails to return to the trimester system.

Asked what could be done for teachers to remain in the classroom, Carbonu suggested that the way forward will be for the Ghana Education Service (GES) not to admit the 2023/2024 first years into the double-track programme.

In a related development, Africa Education Watch following the release of the Senior High School calendar for the 2023/2024 academic year has said the SHS calendar would require a lot of explanation for parents to understand.

Director of the education think tank, Kofi Asare commenting on the calendar said “It was not proper for those who would be going to Form Two under the transitional calendar to report to school on March 8, 2024, when Form One students under the single track calendar would have started their academic year today, November 1, 2023.”

“So they (Form Two students under the transition calendar) would start their academic year in March next year, while those in the single track are starting theirs next month,” the Education Watch Director told the Daily Graphic.

In the case of Form One students reporting to school in December, he said that was possible since the 2023 BECE results would be ready in two weeks, after which they would be released and the students placed in their schools of choice.

Concerning Form Three students, Kofi Asare said, there were different dates for the completion of the academic year under both calendars. He wondered why the academic year ended on different dates for the single and double tracks.

Explaining further, the Africa Education Watch (EduWatch) official said the first-year Free Senior High School (SHS) students would be spending more days in school than at home, which was good.