BECE placement challenge is about choice mismatch, not lack of space – Dr. Apaak

The Ministry of Education has clarified that the difficulty some qualified 2026 BECE candidates are facing in securing automatic Senior High School (SHS) placement is not due to a shortage of vacancies, but a mismatch between students’ preferred schools and available spaces.

Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, said in a statement issued on September 7 that while 859,828 vacancies were declared nationwide, a large number of candidates competed for limited spaces in Category A schools.

According to the Ministry, 313,283 candidates selected Category A schools as their first choice, compared with only 76,417 available vacancies.

In contrast, Category B schools had 250,366 vacancies against 176,614 first-choice requests, while Category C schools recorded 468,652 vacancies against 123,577 first-choice requests.

“The comparison is instructive. While 313,283 candidates expressed a first preference for Category A schools, the declared vacancies in those schools stood at 76,417.”

Dr. Apaak said the concentration of preferences in a limited number of schools was creating pressure on the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).

“The issue, therefore, is not simply the availability of spaces in our secondary education system. It is largely a mismatch between where vacancies exist and where candidates most strongly prefer to be placed,” he noted.

He stressed that qualifying for secondary education does not guarantee placement in a candidate’s preferred school or programme.

“This explains why a candidate may qualify for secondary education but not necessarily secure their preferred school or program.”

To ease the pressure, government has included 85 private SHSs in the Free SHS programme for the 2026/27 academic year.

Affected candidates are being encouraged to consider available places in Category B and C schools, as well as the participating private schools.

The Ministry has also opened regional resolution centres to assist candidates and parents. In Accra, GNAT Hall has been designated as the National Placement Resolution Centre.

The Ministry has reiterated that the placement process is free and warned parents and candidates against paying individuals who claim they can secure placement for them.