Ghana’s New Free SHS Curriculum Start Date and Features Out

Ghana is poised and ready to take off with the new Free SHS Curriculum, which will see the introduction of the Common Core Curriculum in SHS1 and new programmes based on the yet-to-be-introduced curriculum. Would be SHS 1 students who will be writing their BECE in July 2024 will be introduced to the new Common Core Curriculum for Basic 10, which is the final part of the common core subjects they were introduced to in basic school.

The first batch of students in the new Free SHS will begin testing according to the 2019 curriculum. The first year will introduce the students to the basic 10 portions of the Common Core Curriculum.

What is the date for the start of the new SHS curriculum?

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) has set September 2024 as the start date for the rollout of Ghana’s new free SHS curriculum. This coincides with the introduction of the new examination format for BECE candidates this year.

On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) hosted a presentation on the updated curriculum.

During his address at the program, Professor Appiah was excited that the University of Winneba was very much involved in the shaping and drafting of the curriculum. According to him, approximately 60% of the university’s faculty played a crucial role in developing the new comprehensive framework for the new SHS curriculum.

The university’s contribution to the development of a comprehensive framework for the new SHS curriculum highlights its critical role in shaping educational standards that will influence future generations.

The New Free SHS Curriculum Features

What are some of the new features and programmes included in the new SHS curriculum’s comprehensive framework?

1. Its purpose is to set clear performance standards for student teaching, learning, assessment, and grading.
2. It will shift Ghana’s secondary education system towards subject-area-based learning.
3. The number of subjects studied at the SHS will drastically decrease, from 63 to 37.
4. The new curriculum will also streamline Ghana’s educational process and allow students to have a deeper engagement with and understanding of each subject area.
5. The new curriculum has made physical education an examinable subject at the senior high school level. This is expected to create flexible pathways that allow students to customize their education based on their interests and talents.
6. The new curriculum places more emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
7. It also has remedial assistance and practical exercises fully incorporated into the subjects to help learners deepen their grasp of scientific concepts.

What will students enrolled in SHS this year learn in Form 1 (Basic 10)?

Students who enroll in senior high school year one in September will be studying the basic 10 curriculum in their first year of secondary school. This implies that they won’t begin their chosen programs, like accounting, general arts, home economics, etc. until they receive instructions to enroll into specific programmes in SHS2.

READ: Buy Discounted WAEC/NaCCA Type of Mock Questions And Answers Here

In a related development, WAEC will administer critical thinking, case study, and application questions in the 2024 BECE, preparing secondary school students to begin the new curriculum at the SHS level in September 2024.

Watch for updates on the new SHS curriculum updates in the coming weeks on this portal.