“Ghana has enough SHS spaces, but parents prefer only top schools" – Kofi Asare

Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, has urged parents to better manage their expectations in the ongoing 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) placement exercise.

His comments follow chaotic scenes at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Accra on Tuesday, September 23, where hundreds of parents and students gathered to lodge complaints and seek clarity on placements. Many expressed frustration over misplaced postings, unmet school preferences, and challenges in securing admission to their desired institutions.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr. Asare explained that although Ghana has enough capacity to absorb the 590,000 candidates who sat for this year’s BECE, the real issue is competition for a limited number of “popular” schools and programmes.

“The resolution starts with parents, because we have more spaces in schools than we actually need. Which means that we have the capacity to absorb all the 590,000 students. But while the country has spaces, they do not meet the full expectations, tastes and choices of parents and, by extension, the candidates,” he said.

He cautioned that placement should not be seen as an absolute right but rather one governed by merit and competition.

“One of the challenges is the over-democratisation of school placement, where you are told you have the right to choose. But that is not absolute. It is relative within a merit-based system. You may wish to go to Labone SHS to do science, but you must also make a competitive grade with respect to the course and the category of the school,” he explained.

Mr. Asare further stressed that equitable access to education depends on parents embracing all schools across categories instead of fixating on a few highly sought-after institutions.

“So, parents should understand that it is not possible for any government to serve them with their preferred school choice. The only way we can ensure fairness is to encourage patronage of all schools, regardless of category,” he emphasized.

📌 Related: CSSPS School Placement Portal – Check your BECE placement online

Source: Citinewsroom.com