Accra: Economic activity around major Senior High Schools (SHSs) in Ho has surged as first-year students report to campus for the 2025/2026 academic year, with tricycle operators, food vendors, and photographers cashing in on the busy period.
According to Ghana News Agency, at Ola Girls Senior High School, described by residents as 'the boiling point,' commercial tricycle operators, popularly known as Cando or Keke, are making brisk business transporting students and their luggage from the school's main gate to the assembly hall. Fares for short trips within the school enclave reportedly range between GHS10 and GHS20, depending on the load and distance. Food vendors stationed near the entrance are also enjoying increased sales as parents and students patronise their services day and night.
Photographers have joined the business rush, offering instant passport photo services to new students who need pictures for documentation and official records. 'This is our peak season. We can take up to 100 pictures a day,' said a local photographer near the Ola campus.
The situation is similar at Mawuli School and Mawuko Girls Senior High School, where the campuses have been flooded with excited freshers, anxious parents, and busy traders taking advantage of the moment.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has confirmed that the nationwide school reporting exercise for newly admitted SHS students is progressing smoothly. The Public Relations Officer of the Service said a three-day window - from Saturday, October 18 to Monday, October 20 - was set aside for all freshers to report to their respective schools.
Monitoring teams from GES visited several campuses on the first day to observe the process and ensure students were properly received and oriented. 'We ourselves went round to monitor how the freshers were being integrated into the new environment,' the spokesperson noted. 'Largely, the process was ongoing, though slow and rough due to internet issues in some schools on the first day.'
Despite minor delays and congestion, the GES described the exercise as successful, assuring that all first-year students who have reported will be accommodated and supported as they begin their academic journey.