Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak, has called the Ghana Education Service (GES) out on what he says is a haphazard of academic calendars of the various Senior High Schools in the country.
In a release, Dr. Apaak, picks on the recent clumsy announcement by the GES that schools are to break unceremoniously on the 28th of February.
Shockingly, the GES had announced the semester break on the very day that the break took place (28th of February), and to top it up, the announcement had been made with a press conference rather than through official letters to heads of the schools who were simply caught off guard by the sudden announcement.
“public are in a state of disbelief, and are asking why the Ghana Education Service (GES) announced that schools had to break on 28th February, 2020 via a press release, the same day the schools were asked go on break.
“The press release, dated Friday February 28th, 2020, and titled SHS Semester Break, was signed by Cassandra Twum Ampofo, head of Public Relations, GES. Among others, the opening paragraph stated that “Management of the Ghana Education Service wishes to inform staff, students, parents and the general public that all Senior High Schools will go on a semester break from Friday 28th February until Wednesday, March 4th 2020”. The press release added that “this will mark the end of the semester for all students excerpt for form 2 Gold”. The content of the press release and the directives in contained thereof, raise a lot of questions that require answers,” Dr. Apaak wrote before proceeding to ask a barrage of questions.
“Couldn’t GES have written earlier or even a week before the 28th of February 2020 to inform the heads of senior high schools that schools would/should go on a semester break on February 28th, 2020?
“Is it not curious that GES elected to issue a press release to convey such directives to heads of senior high schools rather than formally writing to them?
“Would it not have been helpful to the staff, students and even parents, to have known in advance that schools were to break on the 28th so that they could plan?
“Per the GES press release dated 28th February 2020, year two (2) Gold track students will break on the 8th of May 2020 for the end of the first semester and resume only four (4) days after, on 12th May. Why must MOE/GES subject heads, teachers, students and parents to such pressure?”
He pointed out that the haphazard academic calendar is disruptive and can impact negatively on teaching and learning.