GES academic calendar 2026/2027: term dates for basic schools and SHS

What is the GES academic calendar for the 2026/2027 school year?

The GES academic calendar for 2026/2027 is really two calendars. One covers basic schools, meaning kindergarten, primary and junior high. The other covers senior high schools and senior high technical schools. They start on different days, use different terms and semesters, and close on different days, so a family with a child in JHS and another in SHS follows two sets of dates.

GES released the basic school calendar in early May 2026 and the SHS and SHTS calendar on 1 June 2026. We checked both on 12 October 2026. One caution first: we could not find the calendar as a document on the GES website or the Ministry of Education website, so every date in this guide comes from news reports of the GES statements. We label them that way throughout.

Key dates at a glance (checked 12 October 2026)

Basic school calendar 2026/2027: term dates

GES announced the basic school calendar in a statement signed by Daniel Fenyi, Head of Public Relations, and it was reported on 6 and 7 May 2026. First term opened on Tuesday 8 September 2026 and has 15 weeks. Second term has 12 weeks and third term has 14 weeks.

The chart below shows the length of each term. First term is the longest at 15 weeks, and second term is the shortest at 12.

Every term has a two-day mid-term break. Only the first one has a published date: Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November 2026. The reports we read do not give dates for the mid-term breaks in second and third term, so we do not guess them. The statement also says public holidays within the year are to be observed.

SHS and SHTS calendar 2026/2027: when did Form 1 reopen?

Form 1 and Form 2 students in single-track SHS and SHTS reopened on Friday 18 September 2026. That is the date many parents search as "shs reopening date" and "form 1 reopening". It is also the reporting day for first-year students placed through the CSSPS, whose placement results came out on 4 September 2026. Our CSSPS placement page has the placement details, and the official portal is cssps.gov.gh.

Single-track schools run two semesters for Form 1 and Form 2. The first semester ends on 29 January 2027. The vacation runs from 30 January to 29 March 2027, and the second semester starts on 30 March 2027. Reports give the end of the year as 30 July or 31 July 2027, so ask your school which one it uses.

Form 3 follows its own pattern, because final-year students need time before the WASSCE. They began on 18 September 2026, finish their first semester on 18 December 2026, and have a Christmas vacation to 31 January 2027, as Citi Newsroom reports. They return on 1 February 2027 and finish the year on 18 June 2027. MyJoyOnline gives the same return date for single-track final-year students.

What about transitional schools?

Transitional schools use a mix of classroom time and online learning. The dates are more complicated, and the outlets we read do not agree on every detail, so use this as a guide and confirm with the school.

• Form 1: in school from 18 September 2026 to 13 November, online from 16 November to 18 December, a break until 7 February 2027, back in school from 8 February to 16 April, online from 19 April to 14 May, and a second semester from 21 June to 27 August 2027.
• Form 2: starts on 16 November 2026 and is in school until 5 February 2027, online from 8 February to 5 March, and a second semester from 19 April to 27 August 2027.
• Form 3: in school from 18 September to 18 December 2026, a break to 4 January 2027, and the year ends on 18 June 2027.

Citi Newsroom and MyJoyOnline agree on most of these dates. The difference is for final-year students. Transitional Form 3 is reported to return on 5 January 2027, while single-track Form 3 returns on 1 February 2027. If your school is transitional, the school's own letter is the date to follow.

When does school close for Christmas in 2026?

Basic schools close for the first-term vacation on Thursday 17 December 2026, and the vacation runs from 18 December 2026 to 4 January 2027. Classes resume on Tuesday 5 January 2027.

For SHS and SHTS, the reported Christmas break is 19 December 2026 to 4 January 2027. Single-track Form 3 students finish their first semester on 18 December and stay home until 31 January 2027. Single-track Form 1 and Form 2 students are in their first semester until 29 January 2027, so their long vacation only starts then. If you are planning a trip, do not assume your SHS child is home on 18 December. Ask the school for its closing letter.

Easter is reported as a break from 25 to 30 March 2027 in the SHS calendar. For basic schools, the second-term vacation runs from 26 March to 19 April 2027.

Is there an SHS second-term or third-term date?

SHS and SHTS schools use semesters, not three terms, in this calendar. So searches such as "second term 2026/2027" or "third term" only apply to basic schools. For single-track Form 1 and Form 2, the second semester runs from 30 March to 30 July 2027. For Form 3, the second part of the year runs from 1 February to 18 June 2027.

BECE and WASSCE 2027: what the calendar says

GES scheduled the 2027 BECE from Wednesday 5 May to Wednesday 12 May 2027. That sits inside third term, which opens on 20 April 2027. JHS 3 candidates should plan around those dates, and the full timetable will come from the exam body, which we have not seen yet. Our exams hub tracks it.

For the 2027 WASSCE, Citi Newsroom and Graphic Online report a window from 6 April to 18 June 2027. MyJoyOnline gives the same start but an end date of 28 June 2027. We could not settle that difference from an official document. We have not found a WAEC timetable for 2027, so the calendar window is only the school-calendar frame, not the paper-by-paper dates. When results arrive, our WASSCE grade calculator helps you read your grades.

Has the 2026/2027 calendar changed? The teacher strike

This is the question behind many searches this month. We found no announcement that the term dates have been revised.

Here is what happened. Teachers went on strike on 25 September 2026, and the strike was suspended on Friday 9 October 2026 after talks between the unions and government. On 28 September, Daniel Fenyi told MyJoyOnline that the calendar had been stabilised and that GES did not want to disturb it.

On Saturday 10 October he spoke on Akoma 87.9 FM about recovering lost lessons. Reports from 3News and Coleman Publications say GES will consult stakeholders. He said extending the academic year is not the only option, and that break periods could be shortened or school hours could be extended. Both reports state that this is not a final decision.

In plain terms, the dates in this guide are the ones in force as of 12 October 2026. A change is possible, and nobody has announced one. Do not accept a text message or social media post saying "the calendar has been extended" unless it comes from GES, your school, or a district education office. We will update this page when GES issues an official notice.

What we could not confirm

Here is what we could not find.

• The GES website circulars page returned no calendar document on 12 October 2026, and we found none on the Ministry of Education site either. Every date comes from news reports of a GES statement, which carry no circular number.
• Mid-term break dates for second and third term at basic schools.
• The WASSCE end date: 18 June 2027 in two reports, 28 June 2027 in one.
• The exact closing day for SHS Form 1 and Form 2 in single-track schools: 30 July in two reports, 31 July in another.
• The number of school days in the year. GES did not publish a count in the reports we read. The three basic school terms add up to 41 weeks, but public holidays are observed within them.
• Whether any change will follow the September 2026 strike.
• The 2027/2028 calendar, which has not been published.

How to use the calendar well

1. Find your child's level. Basic and SHS use different dates.
2. For SHS, find out whether the school is single track or transitional. The dates differ.
3. Save the dates that matter to you. Our placement page has calendar files for SHS reopening and the Christmas break.
4. Check the school's own letter for the closing day, and follow it if it differs from the table.
5. Re-check this page after any GES announcement.

University and college of education intakes follow their own timetables, and our admissions hub lists the guides. Find schools by area on the regions page, and see the exam portals page for official exam sites. See our university admissions calendar and the colleges of education calendar. For how Ghana's school levels fit together, our education system page explains it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the GES academic calendar for the 2026/2027 school year?

There are two. Basic schools run three terms: 8 September to 17 December 2026, 5 January to 25 March 2027, and 20 April to 22 July 2027. SHS and SHTS run from 18 September 2026 in semesters, with different dates for single-track and transitional schools. The tables above give the details.

What is the academic calendar for basic schools in Ghana for 2026/2027?

First term runs from Tuesday 8 September to Thursday 17 December 2026. Second term runs from Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March 2027. Third term runs from Tuesday 20 April to Thursday 22 July 2027. The BECE is from 5 to 12 May 2027.

Which day will SHS resume?

Friday 18 September 2026 for the new academic year, for Form 1 and Form 2 in single-track schools and for Form 3. That was also the reporting date for first-year students. Transitional schools begin Form 2 later, on 16 November 2026.

Has GES postponed its reopening date?

We found no report that the reopening dates were postponed. Basic schools were scheduled to open on 8 September and SHS on 18 September 2026, and the reports we read about the strike do not mention a change to either.

Is the 2026/2027 academic calendar out?

Yes. GES released the basic school calendar in early May 2026 and the SHS and SHTS calendar on 1 June 2026. We could not find either as a document on the GES website.

What is the academic calendar for basic schools in Ghana for 2027?

In 2027, second term opens on 5 January and closes on 25 March, with the vacation from 26 March to 19 April. Third term opens on 20 April and closes on 22 July 2027, when the long vacation starts on 23 July.

When is the 2027 BECE?

GES scheduled the BECE from Wednesday 5 May to Wednesday 12 May 2027. We have not seen the paper-by-paper timetable from the exam body yet.

When do schools go on Christmas vacation in 2026?

Basic schools close on Thursday 17 December and return on Tuesday 5 January 2027. SHS Christmas break is reported as 19 December 2026 to 4 January 2027, but single-track Form 1 and Form 2 stay in school until 29 January 2027.

How many school days are there in the 2026/2027 year?

GES did not publish a day count in the reports we read. For basic schools the terms are 15, 12 and 14 weeks, which is 41 weeks, and public holidays are observed within them.

Will the teacher strike change the school calendar?

Not yet. The strike ran from 25 September to 9 October 2026. GES says it will consult stakeholders, and has said it could shorten breaks, lengthen school hours or extend the year. No decision has been announced.

Sources

• Graphic Online, GES announces 2026/2027 academic calendar: basic schools to reopen September 8 (press report, 7 May 2026) (checked 12 October 2026)
• MyJoyOnline, GES releases 2026/27 academic calendar; BECE set for May 2027 (press report, May 2026) (checked 12 October 2026)
• MyJoyOnline, GES releases 2026/2027 academic calendar for senior high schools (press report, 1 June 2026) (checked 12 October 2026)
• Citi Newsroom, GES releases 2026/2027 SHS and SHTS academic calendar (press report, 2 June 2026) (checked 12 October 2026)
• Graphic Online, GES releases SHS calendar, sets September 18 reopening (press report, 1 June 2026) (checked 12 October 2026)
• Coleman Publications, GES to consult stakeholders on academic calendar adjustments after teachers' strike (press report, 12 October 2026) (checked 12 October 2026)
• 3News, GES considers shorter breaks and extended hours to recover lessons lost to teacher strike (press report, 11 October 2026) (checked 12 October 2026)
• MyJoyOnline, GES working around the clock to get teachers back to class (press report, 28 September 2026) (checked 12 October 2026)
• Ghana Education Service, circulars and notices (no calendar document found, checked 12 October 2026)
• CSSPS, placement portal (checked 12 October 2026)