CREP POLICY POSITION: Off Campus Learning Must Deliver Results, Not Just Dates

The Ghana Education Service circular dated 2 January 2026 confirms that the 2025/2026 academic calendar for Senior High Schools and Senior High Technical Schools remains unchanged and formally designates multiple periods within the calendar as online or off campus learning. For Form One students in transition schools, the period from 5 to 30 January 2026 is explicitly defined as part of the academic semester and not a vacation. Similar off campus periods are embedded later in the calendar for Forms One and Two. The circular further outlines three delivery channels: guided assignments based on approved curriculum resources, live television lessons on MoE TV, and school based Learning Management Systems.

These facts are important. They establish that instructional time has not been lost and that off campus learning is no longer an emergency response but a planned feature of the school system. However, the central policy question is no longer whether learning should continue outside the classroom. It is whether the current arrangements are capable of delivering equitable, measurable and effective learning outcomes for all students.

CREP’s Key Criticisms

The first weakness is the assumption of universal access. The policy presumes that every student can participate through at least one of the stated channels. Evidence from the October 2025 online tuition period shows that this assumption does not hold. Many students lack internet connectivity, digital devices, stable electricity or functional television access. Declaring participation mandatory without first addressing these access gaps risks excluding precisely those learners the policy claims to protect.

The second weakness is the absence of a clear assessment framework. Although off campus learning is declared a mandatory part of teaching and learning, the circular does not specify how guided tasks, televised lessons or LMS activities will contribute to continuous assessment. Experience across the education system demonstrates that learning activities not tied to assessment are treated as optional by students and parents. This omission undermines compliance and academic seriousness.

The third weakness lies in the uneven digital capacity of schools. Only a limited number of public senior high schools operate functional Learning Management Systems. Encouraging LMS use without a standardised national platform or compensatory support for less resourced schools risks widening inequalities between institutions.

The fourth weakness is weak parental accountability. While parents and guardians are urged to support learners, no structured expectations or monitoring mechanisms are provided. Past off campus learning periods have shown that general appeals to parental responsibility are insufficient, particularly in households facing economic pressures that compete with study time.

Finally, the policy reflects a pattern of reactive planning. Off campus periods are known in advance, yet content preparation, publicity and detailed lesson schedules are often finalised late. This recurring delay has consistently reduced participation and weakened delivery.

CREP’s Policy Suggestions

CREP proposes that all off campus learning activities be formally integrated into continuous assessment. Assignments, projects and virtual lessons must carry defined academic weight to ensure student engagement and parental enforcement.

To address access inequalities, CREP recommends a cluster based learning model. Selected schools, ICT centres or community facilities within districts should function as supervised digital learning hubs for students without devices or connectivity at home. This approach is practical, cost effective and immediately deployable.

Data affordability must be treated as an education policy issue. Government should negotiate the zero rating of approved educational platforms and Ministry of Education digital content to remove cost barriers that limit participation.

CENDLOS and MoE TV lessons should be fully curriculum aligned, recorded in advance and broadcast according to a fixed national timetable. Schools should then assign and assess follow up work directly linked to these broadcasts.

Parental engagement should be formalised through PTAs. Clear expectations on daily study time during off campus periods should be communicated and monitored at school and community levels.

Finally, early planning must be institutionalised. Detailed online learning plans for all scheduled off campus periods should be completed and communicated before the start of each semester, covering content development, platform readiness and publicity.

CREP recognises the importance of calendar stability and the formal acknowledgement of off campus learning. However, learning continuity cannot rest on declarations alone. Without deliberate action to guarantee access, enforce assessment, reduce cost barriers and strengthen accountability, off campus learning will continue to deepen inequality. The policy challenge now is not coordination but execution. Ghana’s education system must ensure that learning outside the classroom delivers real outcomes for every student, not just clarity on dates.