GES Dismisses Calls For Postponement Of Reopening Date For SHSs, Students To Report On January 3
- The Ghana Education Service (GES) has insisted that Senior High School (SHS) students return to school on Friday, January 3, 2024
- This is despite calls from the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) to the Education Ministry calling for a delay
- CHASS argued that the government has yet to fully fulfil its financial obligations to the schools and said reopening would thus be difficult
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The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dismissed calls to postpone the 2024/25 academic calendar.
In a press statement, the GES reaffirmed that the 2024/25 academic calendar remains unchanged. Students are expected to report to school on Friday, January 3, 2024.
Source: Facebook
The GES said Senior High School (SHS) students are expected to return to school on January 3, 2025, whereas primary and Junior High Schools (JHS) will resume on January 8, 2025.
The press statement responded to calls from the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) to the Education Ministry, insisting that the reopening date be postponed.
CHASS argued that Senior High Schools across the country cannot operate efficiently because the government has failed to meet its financial obligations to second-cycle institutions.
CHASS had cautioned that the government’s failure to meet its financial obligations could disrupt the reopening of schools and strongly advised against the January 3 reopening date.
Despite the concerns, GES said its academic calendar would remain intact and rehashed that the reopening dates for all levels of education will proceed as earlier announced.
The GES urged parents, students and staff to take note and adhere to the announced academic schedule.
CHASS' argument against reopening
The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) urged the Education Ministry to delay the reopening of schools set for January 3, 2025.
According to CHASS, schools should open only after the government has settled all outstanding financial obligations to them and their suppliers.
In a letter to the Education Ministry, CHASS said the persistent financial challenges schools face are caused by the government’s failure to settle its debts.
It warned that if the government fails to settle the debt, the schools could not reopen on January 3, 2025, as scheduled.
CHASS admitted that while the government has disbursed some funds, these have failed to resolve the most critical issues: the unpaid recurrent funds owed to the schools, the outstanding arrears for perishable food items and the funds to transport food supplies from distribution centres to schools.
CHASS added that excluding single-track and day schools from the recent funding allocation and the unpaid utility bills threatening essential services remain unresolved.
Thus, CHASS called on the government to immediately release these critical funds to address schools' pressing challenges. It warned that if the government fails to release the funds, it will undermine the quality of education in schools nationwide.
Construction company locks up school over debt
YEN.com.gh reported that a construction company has locked up a Galilea M/A Basic School classroom block.
The company took this action because the Ga South Assembly reportedly failed to settle outstanding debts.
The company’s spokesperson said it had attempted to settle this debt using the Ghana Education Trust Fund.
Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
