“New Senior Secondary School calendar begins … In line with education reform programme,” says the Daily Graphic in a banner headline story. The Graphic reports that students entering senior secondary school (SSS) this month, will write their final certificate examination in June, 2001, instead of November, the same year. In effect, the senior secondary school academic year will begin in September and end in June from the year 2002. The paper says Dr. Stephen Ayidiya, consultant on Information, Education and Communication of the Free, Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme of the Ministry of Education, who disclosed this, said the change would also affect junior secondary school pupils who would take their final basic education certificate examination (BECE) in April 2001. Dr Ayidiya is quoted as saying the new arrangements are in line with the education reform programme. He explained that the change of the SSS academic year from September – August to January-December, was not part of the new educational reforms but an emergency measure taken to avoid the 1990 batch of JSS leavers speding one whole year at home waiting to enter SSS in September the following year. GRi
