GES Releases 2026/2027 Academic Calendar For SHS And SHTS

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has released the academic calendar for Senior High Schools (SHS) and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTS) for the 2026/2027 academic year, outlining schedules for both single-track and transitional schools.

In a statement issued on June 1, GES said the calendar had been finalised to guide students, parents, teachers and school administrators in planning for the upcoming academic year.

Under the single-track system, Form One and Form Two students will begin the academic year on September 18, 2026. Their first semester will run until January 29, 2027, after which they will proceed on vacation from January 30 to March 29, 2027.

The second semester will commence on March 30, 2027, and end on July 30, 2027, with the academic year officially ending on July 31.

Form Three students in single-track schools will also report on September 18, 2026. They will remain in school until December 18 before proceeding on Christmas break from December 19, 2026, to January 31, 2027. They will return on February 1, 2027, for their final semester, which will end on June 18, 2027.

For transitional schools, Form One students will begin in-person classes on September 18, 2026, and remain in school until November 13. They will then continue lessons online from November 16 to December 18 before proceeding on break from December 19, 2026, to February 7, 2027.

They will return to school from February 8 to April 16, 2027, followed by online learning from April 19 to May 14. A vacation period will run from May 15 to June 20, after which students will resume for the second semester from June 21 to August 27, 2027.

Form Two students in transitional schools will be in school from November 16, 2026, to February 5, 2027. Online learning will take place from February 8 to March 5 before students proceed on vacation from March 6 to April 18. They will return for the second semester on April 19, 2027, and remain in school until August 27.

Form Three students in transitional schools will attend classes from September 18 to December 18, 2026, before going on Christmas break from December 19, 2026, to January 4, 2027. They will resume on January 5, 2027, and continue until June 18, 2027.

GES has scheduled the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to run from April 6 to June 18, 2027.

The calendar also includes a Christmas break from December 19, 2026, to January 4, 2027, an Easter break from March 25 to March 30, 2027, and a mid-semester break for Form Two students from June 17 to June 20, 2027.

GES urged school heads, teachers, parents and students to take note of the dates and make the necessary preparations ahead of the new academic year.