The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that all senior high schools across the country will reopen in October for the 2025/2026 academic year.
According to a circular issued on 20 August 2025 and signed by the Director of the Schools and Instructions Division, Mr Prince C. Agyemang-Duah, the academic calendar will operate under a single-track system as well as a modified double-track arrangement, referred to as the “transitional academic calendar.”
Reopening Dates
First- and second-year students: 18 October 2025
Third-year students: 11 October 2025
The first term will run until 27 February 2026, with a Christmas break scheduled from 20 December 2025 to 4 January 2026. The second term is set to begin on 4 May 2026 and end on 21 August 2026.
Transitional (Double-Track) Schools
For schools operating under the transitional calendar, the reopening dates will differ slightly:
First-year students: 18 October 2025
Third-year students: 27 October 2025
Second-year students: 5 January 2026, beginning with five weeks of blended online learning before fully resuming in May.
WASSCE 2026
Mr Agyemang-Duah further indicated that the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will take place from 20 April to 20 June 2026.
The circular also designated 20–22 December 2025 as an official travel period ahead of the Christmas break.
The next academic year, 2026/2027, is expected to begin on 11 September 2026.
According to the GES, these academic calendars are designed to ensure consistency and the smooth running of the school year across all second-cycle institutions nationwide.
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