Ministry of Education Places 527,932 BECE Candidates Amid Calls for CSSPS Reforms and Resolution of Placement Challenges

The Ministry of Education has announced that 527,932 candidates, representing 87.3 percent of the 604,567 students who sat for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), have been successfully placed in second-cycle and technical institutions. Despite this high placement rate, approximately 55,000 candidates remain unassigned to schools, leading to significant congestion at resolution centers across the country. In Accra and Kumasi, thousands of parents and students have besieged facilities like the GNAT Hall and Kumasi Technical Institute, citing concerns over changes in placement status from boarding to day, the separation of twins into different schools, and long travel distances. Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Clement Apaak has encouraged unplaced students to utilize the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) self-placement portal to find available vacancies.

Addressing the challenges, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has issued a strict directive prohibiting heads of Senior High Schools (SHS) and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions from admitting any students outside the CSSPS. This measure is intended to preserve the integrity of the placement process. Furthermore, the Ministry clarified that failing one or two core subjects, including Mathematics or English, does not automatically disqualify a student from secondary education. A "lifeline" policy allows these candidates to participate in self-placement or opt for remedial programs. To mitigate future congestion, the Ministry plans to fully digitize the placement complaints process by 2027, allowing for remote resolution through the CSSPS portal.

However, the current placement exercise has faced sharp criticism from political and educational stakeholders. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected the reliance on self-placement, arguing it does not guarantee actual enrollment and calling for the government to utilize private schools to accommodate the surplus. Former Education Minister Dr. Yaw Adutwum also urged a redesign of the CSSPS, warning that the current cutoff criteria and system flaws disproportionately marginalize students from rural and disadvantaged communities. Additionally, the National Council of Parent-Teacher-Associations (NCPTA) has called for a technical review of the 2026 BECE results processing by independent experts to ensure transparency in grading and restore public confidence in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

While some districts, such as Kadjebi in the Oti Region, report a smoother placement assistance process, the overall national landscape remains tense as the September 18 start date for the new academic year approaches. The Ministry of Education has pledged to monitor the performance of placed candidates and has urged school authorities to facilitate timely admissions. As the resolution centers continue to process thousands of queries, the debate over systemic reforms to the CSSPS—including proposals to restrict unqualified students from choosing oversubscribed Category A schools—continues to intensify, highlighting the need for a more efficient and equitable transition to secondary education in Ghana.