GES 2026/27 academic calendar: reopening, vacation, BECE and WASSCE dates
When are schools reopening? The 2026/27 GES dates for SHS and basic school, plus BECE and WASSCE 2027 windows, with the official source linked.
“When are schools reopening?” is one of the most searched education questions in Ghana every single term, and the answer moves around as GES revises its calendar. This page keeps the current dates in one place, with the official source linked so you can verify anything before booking transport back to school.
The 2026/27 academic calendar
GES released the 2026/27 calendar with basic schools opening first: KG, primary and JHS resumed on 8 September 2026, with SHS Forms 1 and 2 following on 18 September. The exam headlines inside it: BECE 2027 runs 5 to 12 May, and the school-candidates WASSCE 2027 runs 6 April to 18 June.
| Milestone | SHS | Basic (KG–JHS) |
|---|---|---|
| Term / Semester 1 reopening | Fri 18 Sep 2026 (Forms 1 & 2) | Tue 8 Sep 2026 |
| Mid-term break (basic) | — | 5 to 6 Nov 2026 |
| Term / Semester 1 vacation | Fri 29 Jan 2027 | Thu 17 Dec 2026 |
| Term / Semester 2 reopening | Tue 30 Mar 2027 | Tue 5 Jan 2027 |
| Term 2 vacation (basic) | See GES release | Thu 25 Mar 2027 |
| Term 3 (basic) | — | 20 Apr to 22 Jul 2027 |
| BECE 2027 | — | 5 to 12 May 2027 |
| WASSCE 2027 (school candidates) | 6 Apr to 18 Jun 2027 | — |
Dates come from the official GES calendar. Always confirm against ges.gov.gh or GES's verified announcements before making travel plans: revisions mid-year are common, and a WhatsApp broadcast is not a source.
Why the SHS calendar looks different from basic school
Basic schools run the familiar three-term year. SHS runs on the structure GES sets for the current cohort system, and the shape has changed several times in recent years, which is exactly why second-hand dates go stale so fast. When in doubt, the school itself and the GES release are the only two answers that count.
Using the break instead of losing it
The students who come back sharp did not study through the whole holiday. They did twenty minutes a day. A short daily review keeps your streak alive and your weak topics from resetting, and it beats a panicked week of cramming before reopening in every measurable way.
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