The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called for the immediate withdrawal of the semester system introduced in the basic and Junior High Schools (JHS).

The Ghana Education Service has introduced a semester-based academic calendar for public Kindergarten, Primary, and Junior High Schools.

The Deputy Director-General for Quality and Access of the Ghana Education Service, Dr. Kwabena Tandoh, told the media that the new system will reduce the workload on teachers.

He noted that the semester based system will also help decongest the various schools.

“We know based on research that one of the causes of classroom absenteeism among teachers in the various schools was because some teachers sought to upgrade themselves. This is because the three-term system in the basic schools overlaps with the university system. Gradually, we are getting to the point where we can align. We are giving teachers the time, by aligning their system with the university systems to upgrade if need be.”

“Recent research in Greater Accra showed that because primary schools had a different calendar from the Junior High Schools, parents could not align. Research also showed that because the primary school children had a different timetable from the Junior High Schools when the latter was in session, attendance went down by 11%,” The Deputy Director-General for Quality and Access of the Ghana Education Service, Dr. Kwabena Tandoh told the media.

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Reacting to the semester calendar in an interview with host of Atinka FM’s AM Drive, Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, Thomas Musah, General Secretary for GNAT Thomas Musah has asked the GES to withdraw the system as the new system has huge “lope holes”.

According to him, the semester system can only work in the Universities and higher education levels.

“We are asking the GES to withdraw the semester calendar with immediate effect”, Thomas Musah told Kaakyire Ofori Ayim.