Government creates 71,000 additional SHS vacancies through private schools

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu says the government has created about 71,000 additional vacancies within the Senior High School (SHS) system through reforms that allow private schools to accommodate graduates of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Mr Iddrisu said the vacancies were not part of the capacity inherited from the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, but resulted from measures introduced by the current government. He was responding to discussions about the availability of places for students following continuing concerns over the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).

“The 800 vacancies we have declared have nothing to do with what they [NPP] left behind as a legacy,” he said. According to the Minister, one of the reforms he introduced was to allow private senior high schools to admit BECE graduates, thereby expanding the options available to students who might otherwise struggle to secure places in public SHSs. He said the initiative had significantly increased the number of available places, with approximately 71,000 vacancies currently available.

“That never happened under the NPP watch, and that never happened under the NPP government,” Mr Iddrisu said. The Minister also disclosed that private SHSs participating in the initiative have approached the government for payment for accommodating students under the arrangement. He said the schools are asking for government support through the Ministry of Finance after taking in BECE graduates under the new initiative.

“As I speak to you, the private schools have come to me: ‘Get our cheque from the Minister of Finance for us. We have assisted you to accommodate some of your BECE students who are doing well in our schools’,” he said. The comments come amid continuing concerns over SHS placement, with thousands of students and parents facing uncertainty over school admissions.

He said the initiative forms part of his broader efforts to introduce reforms and innovations into the placement process, rather than relying solely on the capacity of existing public schools. Minister for Education Haruna Iddrisu says he has asked the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) to allocate GH¢250 million this year to expand infrastructure in Category A senior high schools. According to him, the additional investment will help ease pressure on some of the country’s most sought-after schools, which have experienced a sharp rise in student numbers under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.

Speaking on JoyNews‘ Newsfile on Saturday, September 12, during a discussion on the SHS placement crisis, Mr Iddrisu said he had already discussed the matter with the GETFUND administrator. “I’m also happy to note that I requested, and I had a discussion with the administrator of GETFUND, that he should make an allocation of 250 million this year,” he said. The minister said the funds would be used to expand facilities in Category A schools, while other infrastructure needs would be addressed through the government’s planned World Bank-funded programme.