Ministry of Education and GES Address High Demand for Category A Schools Amid SHS Placement Challenges

The Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education have moved to reassure the public that there is sufficient capacity to accommodate all qualified Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates in Senior High Schools (SHS). Despite the availability of over 859,000 vacancies for approximately 637,328 candidates, significant tensions have erupted at the GNAT Hall in Accra and other resolution centers. The primary source of friction remains the overwhelming demand for "Category A" institutions, where over 318,000 students are competing for a limited 76,000 spots. Education officials emphasize that while 87.3% of candidates have already been successfully placed, the remaining students must navigate the self-placement portal or accept available vacancies in other school categories.

Daniel Fenyi, Head of the Public Relations Unit at the GES, clarified that the BECE should now be viewed primarily as a placement examination rather than a barrier to secondary education. He asserted that access to SHS is a right for every child, and the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) is designed to ensure no qualified student is left behind. However, the system faces criticism from various quarters regarding its efficiency and recent policy shifts. MP Dr. Kingsley Agyemang described the government's policy of allowing school selection only after results are released as a "backward approach." Meanwhile, candidates who received a Grade 9 in core subjects like Mathematics or English have been advised by the GES to remain at the basic level to strengthen their academic foundation before attempting the placement process again.

Expert analysis from Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, suggests the current crisis is not one of "actual capacity" but of "effective capacity." While the raw number of vacancies exceeds the number of students, a mismatch lies in the types of facilities offered. Most Ghanaian families strongly prefer boarding options, yet many available vacancies are in day schools or institutions that lack the desired infrastructure. This discrepancy has led to emotional appeals from students and parents, including instances of high-performing students being passed over for preferred schools in favor of peers with lower grades who may have met specific placement criteria or residential preferences.

In response to these ongoing challenges, the Ministry of Education's Media Relations Officer, Hashmin Mohammed, has urged parents to remain calm as the government works to align available spaces with student preferences. To protect families during this high-stress period, the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTA) has issued a stern warning against fraudsters claiming to manipulate results or secure placements through unofficial channels. Parents are advised to deal directly with the GES and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). As the self-placement portal remains active for over 50,000 eligible candidates, officials continue to encourage families to look beyond popular institutions and explore the wide range of reputable second-cycle schools available nationwide.