Ghanaian MP criticizes new rules for allocating students to senior high schools
In Ghana, the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South and a member of Parliament’s Education Committee, Kingsley Agyemang, criticized the computerized system for allocating students to senior high schools in 2026. He said the placement problems could have been foreseen after the rules for choosing educational institutions were changed.
As MyJoyOnline reports, in April authorities introduced a rule under which candidates choose senior high schools after receiving their Basic Education Certificate Examination results. Agyemang called this approach “a step backward” and said it had increased demand for the most popular institutions.
Demand and available places
According to Ghana’s Ministry of Education, 313,283 candidates selected Category A schools as their first choice, while those institutions had declared 76,417 available places. The MP noted that such a gap between the number of applicants and the available places was predictable.
According to Agyemang, the situation has worsened compared with the previous placement exercise: last year the process was chaotic, and this year there have been even more problems.
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The ministry’s position
Deputy Minister of Education Clement Abas Apaak stated that there is no overall shortage of places in the secondary education system. According to him, 859,828 available places have been declared in the system, exceeding the number of candidates eligible for admission. The problem, in the ministry’s assessment, lies in the mismatch between available places and the schools candidates prefer most.
Category B schools have 250,366 available places, while Category C institutions have 468,652. A self-placement portal has been opened for candidates who were not automatically placed in their chosen schools. It can also be used by candidates who received a grade of 9 in English or mathematics, allowing them to choose schools and programs with available places.
Authorities have also established regional and national centers to resolve placement issues; the national center operates at GNAT Hall in Accra. The ministry urged parents and candidates to use the portal and the centers, warned schools not to admit students outside the approved system, and reminded them that placement is free.
