2026/27 academic year: GES publishes prospectus for SHS boarding and day students

• GES has released the 2026/27 National Harmonised Prospectus for SHS/SHTS students.

• The prospectus lists required items for boarding and day students.

• Parents are urged to prepare ahead of school placements and mark personal items with students’ names.

The prospectus, released on Thursday, September 3, 2026, applies to both prospective boarding and day students as preparations begin ahead of the new academic year.

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GES is encouraging parents and students to carefully review the requirements and make the necessary preparations before the commencement of the 2026/2027 academic year.

In the notice announcing the release, the GES said the prospectus was intended to bring consistency to the admission process across the country.

“Schools and other relevant stakeholders are also expected to adhere to the requirements outlined in the National Harmonised Prospectus to ensure a smooth, consistent and standardised admission process nationwide,” the statement said.

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The release comes ahead of the announcement of school placements and is intended to help newly admitted students prepare for their transition into SHS or SHTS.

“Ahead of the release of the school placements, this prospectus is intended to provide parents and students with clear guidance on the essential items required for enrolment, ensuring that all newly admitted SHS students are adequately prepared to begin the academic year,” GES stated.

The National Harmonised Prospectus contains a more extensive list of items for students who will be staying in school as boarding students.

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Parents are required to prepare the following personal and academic items:

• Hard body suitcase or trunk chop box, wooden or plastic

• One drinking cup

• One plastic or stainless-steel plate

• One set of cutlery

• Toiletries, including one deodorant, one pack of toilet roll, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap and pomade

• Two packs of sanitary pads for girls

• Decent sandals, school specific and without embellishment

• One pair of leather slippers, school specific

• Decent sneakers, black or white

• Two pairs of socks, school specific

• One pyjamas or sleepwear

• Underwear, comprising five pants and three vests for girls, and three boxer shorts or pants and three singlets for boys

• One plastic bucket with cover and pail

• RSV/NIV Bible or Quran and hymn book for Christians, where school specific

• Pillow

• Two students' bedsheets with two pillowcases, plain white

• One blanket and sleeping cloth

• One pair of khaki trousers

• One pair of white trousers or school-specific trousers

• White dress for ladies

• Two white shirts, one short sleeve and one long sleeve

• Student-size mosquito net

• One school bag

• One mathematical set and scientific calculator

• Two checked dresses, where applicable

• Student mattress

• School-specific shoe colour

• School-specific belt colour

• One hoe or cutlass

• Med Shea Organic mosquito repellent

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The prospectus therefore covers clothing, bedding, toiletries, personal effects and academic materials that boarding students are expected to have as they begin their studies.

The requirements for day students are more limited, with the prospectus focusing on basic school and personal items.

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Day students are required to have:

• One mathematical set and scientific calculator

• Decent sandals, school specific and without embellishment

• Decent sneakers, black or white

• One school bag

GES has also outlined additional items that students are required to purchase for their respective schools.

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The prospectus states that students are required to buy items from any one of the specified groups for their schools.

The listed school-related items include:

• A pair of hard hand gloves

• Five litres of liquid soap

• One kilogramme of washing powdered soap

• One small-size bleach

• One dustpan

• One long-handle broom

• One scrubbing brush

• One standing mop and mop bucket

• One duster

• One short local broom

The prospectus presents these items as part of the requirements for schools and indicates that students are to purchase items from any one of the groups specified.

The GES has urged parents and prospective students to pay close attention to the requirements as they prepare for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The release of the harmonised prospectus before the school placements is intended to give families sufficient guidance on what newly admitted students will need when they report to their respective schools.

The Service also expects schools and other stakeholders involved in the admission process to follow the requirements contained in the prospectus.

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This is aimed at ensuring that the admission process is conducted in a “smooth, consistent and standardised” manner across the country.

GES has also provided a specific instruction concerning the identification of students' personal belongings.

The prospectus states: “All personal items should be embossed or embroidered with the student's name.”

Parents are therefore expected to ensure that the personal belongings prepared for students are properly marked with their names.

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The instruction applies to personal items and is intended to ensure that students' belongings can be identified.

The National Harmonised Prospectus provides the requirements for both boarding and day students ahead of the 2026/2027 academic year, with boarding students having a broader list covering accommodation, clothing, personal care, academic and other essential items.

GES has advised parents and students to review the prospectus and make the necessary preparations ahead of the commencement of the new academic year.