The Ghana Education Service (GES) has released the 2022 semester academic calendar for basic schools thus JH3 down to KG1. From all indications, learners in Kindergarten 1 and 2 will also use the semester calendar instead of the usual trimester calendar and that is the starting point of worry.
Semester Academic Calendar for Kindergarten to JHS and Data For Decision Making from JHS teachers
Why should the KG and Primary school children do a semester system like SHS or tertiary students? Even the JHS pupils are struggling to cope with the semester system how more about these little ones?
One reason why the GES took this decision was to bridge the learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 however, this is not enough reason for the semester approach. There is a need to consider the needs of stakeholders such as teachers and learners. Others may argue that, some of these little minds have siblings in JHS and that the trimester and semester calendars for JHS, Primary, and KG did not help. Others would argue that it will help keep children in school more days than usual and hence more learning.
But have we considered the complaints of teachers when the JHS semester calendar was rolled out? What data have we collected from stakeholders and have we used the data to make an informed decision regarding whether to run a semester or trimester program?
One would have expected the GES and MoE to consider improving quality teaching and learning, hours spent in school a day, resource allocation to teachers and schools, and quality delivery instead of increasing the number of days teachers and learners will have to be in school per semester.
A study by the Wallace Foundation found that the most successful models were well-implemented and designed, featuring lessons that captivated students’ attention. However, not all school districts have the educators or resources to accomplish this, resulting in no net gain in student achievement. This means spending more days and hours in school is of no use if the tools needed to deliver are not available.
Likely Effects of A Semester Academic Calendar for Kindergarten to JHS on Teachers and Learners
While this decision by the GES and Moe may look innovative, the GES has not explained the innovative reasons and other issues that informed the decision. Come to think of it, why should young minds be pressured with going to school for such a long period? Has the leadership of the GES and MoE evaluated the impact of the semester program rolled out for Junior High Schools in 2021?
Teachers at the JHS level have a tough time teaching and providing education-related services for nearly six months. The learners at that level did find it easy going to school nonstop. Both teachers and students at the JHS are finding it extremely difficult to cope with the semester calendar. One can imagine what will happen at the KG and Primary school levels.
Just as the brain needs to rest after a period of learning a day, so does the entire human body need enough rest at regular intervals especially for young minds and learners in KG to Basic 6.
The best decision by the GES should have been reverting the JHS semester calendar to the trimester system to save the children from the torturing they and their teachers are going through.
Very often managers of education are quick to say…OOOOH, Even this country is practicing it. Look, let us not copy blindly but get the fundamentals right so that, we do not keep cloning systems that work in other jurisdictions because of the well-tried and tested mechanisms put in place to drive success.
One of the biggest drawbacks to an extended school period ie a semester or a term is that it creates unhappiness and discontent among teachers and learners. It looks as though the GES does not listen to its staff in the classrooms. One of the best ways to make decisions that will receive a lot of negative reactions is to involve wider stakeholders in the decision-making process. Did the GES or MoE do that?
The health of the educator is paramount and their work is a tedious one which should not be compared with other employees who spend more hours within the office space than the teacher who keeps juggling roles, teaching, and providing instructions to many children from diverse homes. An extended school term or semester often leads to frustration, tiredness, and disappointment for everyone involved. When schools at the basic level spend more days in school per term or semester, it leads to low energy among teachers and learners.