‘We have the spaces, but they don’t meet demand’ – Kofi Asare on SHS placement

Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, has highlighted the ongoing challenges in Ghana's senior high school (SHS) placement system. Despite the Ghana Education Service (GES) reporting a surplus of more than 800,000 vacancies compared to approximately 600,000 candidates, Asare argues that this does not guarantee adequate capacity to meet family demands.

The distinction he draws between "actual capacity" and "effective capacity" emphasizes that while schools may declare numerous vacancies, the true need of families often goes unmet. Asare specifically points out the high demand for boarding places, where many Ghanaian parents favor boarding education. This preference means that even with a high number of day vacancies, effective capacity for boarding students may still be insufficient.

He notes that the issue extends beyond Category A schools, as many Category B institutions also struggle with limited boarding facilities, leading to students being placed in day arrangements despite their initial preference for boarding. Asare's remarks come in light of GES's findings, yet he insists that authorities should evaluate the type and location of available spaces to determine if the country truly has enough capacity for the incoming SHS cohort.