Allowing two Category A choices increased pressure on top SHSs – Dr Tandoh

Former Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Dr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh, has criticized the policy of allowing students to select two Category A schools for the 2026 Senior High School (SHS) placement exercise. Dr Tandoh stated that this decision significantly increased demand for schools with limited capacity, exacerbating the difficulties experienced during the placement process.

During an interview on JoyNews' Newsfile on September 12, Dr Tandoh, who also serves as spokesperson for the NPP Policy Committee on Education, highlighted that this change, along with other policy decisions, placed additional pressure on the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS). Under the previous system, students were limited to selecting only one Category A school in addition to their choices from Categories B and C. However, permitting two Category A selections effectively increased the number of applications competing for a limited number of places.

Dr Tandoh emphasized that this imbalance should have been anticipated before implementing the new selection model. He noted that while demand for Category A schools far exceeded the available 76,417 places, the decision to allow two Category A choices further heightened the demand. Using Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (Presec) as an example, Dr Tandoh explained that while the school had 1,300 overall places, only 200 were available for a specific programme like Science.

If 5,000 candidates chose Science as their first preference, only the top 200 based on merit would be admitted. The remaining candidates would then be considered for subsequent choices based on the placement system. Dr Tandoh also questioned the decision to inform students and parents that candidates with aggregate scores between six and 10 could access Category A schools.

He argued that this communication could create unrealistic expectations, as only a fraction of those candidates would be able to secure a Category A place. Dr Tandoh attributed the broader placement challenge to a mismatch between the demand in highly sought-after schools and the availability of places, rather than solely a shortage of SHS infrastructure.

He pointed out that Ghana had approximately 859,828 SHS places, but only about 623,000 candidates needed placement. The key challenge, according to Dr Tandoh, lies in aligning the demand for specific schools and programs with the available capacity. Dr Tandoh linked the Category A issue to the broader changes made to the placement system in 2026.

He noted that several years of relatively stable student progression to SHS led to the introduction of these changes without adequate communication or consultation. The eligibility rules were altered to accommodate candidates who failed both English Language and Mathematics, resulting in a significant increase in disqualified candidates.

Dr Tandoh emphasized that the combination of changes to eligibility, selection procedures, and Category A choices created additional pressure and uncertainty in this year's placement exercise.