EduWatch, IFEST denies involvement in drawing 2022 calendar

Education Think Tanks – Africa Education Watch and The Institute for Education Studies (IFEST) following a comment by a Ghana Education Service official has said they were not consulted in drawing the 2022 calendar for public schools.

Their comment comes after the Deputy Director-General of GES, Mr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh Monday told Citi FM the stakeholders were consulted in the decision to make this year’s school academic calendar a semester system.

EduWatch in a statement copied to EducationWeb.com.gh denying their inclusion in the decision making said none of its staff was consulted by the Ministry of Education or Ghana Education Service indicated by Kwabena Tandoh.

“At no point was EduWatch or Its Executive Director consulted by Ghana Education Service or Ministry of Education in taking decision. Like all other citizens were only informed through GES’ Facebook page,” it said in a press release.

The Education Watch further said decisions like permanently changing a 3-term academic calendar system that predates independence should not be left for GES/MoE committee that did not even consult the Parliament.

The Institute for Education Studies (IFEST) in its statement said neither IFEST nor their Executive Director was consulted before, during or after the preparation of the 2022 academic calendar as stated by the Deputy Director of GES

“Please note that neither IFEST nor Our Executive Director was consulted before, during or after the preparation of the 2022 calendar as stated by the Deputy Director of GES, Dr Tandoh, this morning on the Citi Breakfast Show,” it stated.

The Education Studies added, “in fact, an institution that’s been against the introduction of the Semester System at the SHS level since 2019 can NEVER support the introduction of the same thing even at a much lower level like KG.”

In a related development, the leadership of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has called on the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service to change the 2022 calendar from semester to trimester.

The Executive Director of the Private Schools Council, Mr Enoch Gyetuah in an interview told EducationWeb private schools would not comply with the ‘controversial’ new semester system introduced by the Education Ministry.

“Is fully unrealistic and comes as surprising, private schools would not comply to this system, the Management of the Ghana Education Service should take a second look at the 2022 academic year calendar,” Mr Obengfo Gyetuah stated.