Dr. Yaw Adutwum, the Minister of Education, defended the decision to start the 2023/2024 academic year on December 4, 2024, during his address in Parliament. He cited the harmonized prospectus, the necessity to return to the pre-COVID academic calendar, and the successful placement of over 81% of candidates into Senior High Schools as the rationale behind the government’s directive.
Explaining further, Dr. Adutwum emphasized that with the majority of students automatically placed based on their preferences, the need for extensive corrections in placements is minimal. Additionally, he highlighted the development of a National Harmonized Prospectus for all SHS and TVET students, enabling parents to purchase required items in advance and prepare their wards for the December 4, 2023 school start.
Despite concerns about the limited time for students to prepare, the Ministry of Education reiterated on November 30 that new Senior High School students must adhere to the December 4, 2023 reporting date as outlined in the 2023/2024 academic calendar released by the GES.
Addressing worries about staff fatigue, Dr. Adutwum refuted claims that teaching and non-teaching staff lacked sufficient rest before the school reopening. He pointed out that since the introduction of the double-track calendar in 2017, additional staff had been employed, and the majority of teachers were only on duty when a specific track was in session. This countered assertions that all teachers had been continuously engaged since the inception of the double-track system.
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