Don’t pay anyone for SHS placement – Dr. Apaak warns parents

The Ministry of Education has warned parents, guardians and candidates against paying individuals who claim they can secure or alter Senior High School (SHS) placements under the 2026 Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, said the placement process is entirely free and that there is no legitimate protocol arrangement requiring candidates or their parents to pay money to obtain or change a placement.

Dr. Apaak issued the warning during a press briefing on the release of the 2026 CSSPS results.

“I want to use this opportunity to send a very clear message to parents, guardians, candidates, and the general public: School placement is absolutely free,” he said.

“No parent, guardian, or candidate should pay money to any individual, whether that person claims to be an official of the Ministry, GES, Ghana TVET Service, a school official, an intermediary, or any other third party, to secure or change a placement.”

He further cautioned the public against individuals who exploit the desperation of parents by promising to secure placements in exchange for money.

“There is no legitimate protocol placement that requires the payment of money,” Dr. Apaak said.

According to the Ministry, placement is determined by established criteria, candidates’ choices, programme requirements and available vacancies.

“Placement is determined by established criteria, candidates’ choices, program requirements, and available vacancies,” he said.

Dr. Apaak urged parents and candidates who encounter individuals demanding money in exchange for securing, changing or influencing a placement to report them to the appropriate law-enforcement authorities.

“Anyone who demands or solicits money in exchange for a promise to secure, alter, or influence a candidate’s placement should be reported immediately to the appropriate law-enforcement authorities, including the Ghana Police Service or the Office of the Special Prosecutor,” he said.

Parents and candidates have also been advised to safeguard their placement credentials and avoid handing them over to unauthorised persons.

The warning comes as the government rolls out the 2026 placement exercise, with 527,932 of the 604,567 candidates who qualified for admission into Senior High Schools, Senior High Technical Schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions already placed.

The Ministry said placement resolution centres have been established at the regional and national levels to address genuine placement challenges and reduce the inconvenience and cost associated with resolving such issues.

Parents and candidates facing genuine placement challenges have been advised to first seek assistance from Ghana Education Service or Ghana TVET Service offices at the regional level.

For matters requiring national-level intervention, the GNAT Hall in Accra has been designated as the National Placement Resolution Centre, where technical teams have been deployed to assist candidates, parents and guardians.

The Ministry said the centres are intended to ensure that genuine placement challenges are resolved efficiently without forcing parents and candidates to resort to intermediaries.

The CSSPS has also been upgraded to include an admission portal, allowing parents and guardians to enrol candidates and download admission forms without travelling to individual schools.

The Ministry has further cautioned heads of schools against admitting or enrolling students outside the CSSPS placement system, warning that schools or officials who violate the directive will face appropriate sanctions.

According to the Ministry, the measure is necessary to prevent discrepancies in student data and challenges with the disbursement of funds to schools.

Dedicated call-centre lines have also been activated to provide direct assistance to candidates and parents seeking information or support on placement-related matters.