The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Education, has officially announced a reversion to the previous school selection process for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates, permitting them to choose their preferred senior high schools for placement under the 2025 academic year.
The announcement was made during a press briefing addressed by the Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Abass Apaak, and the Coordinator of the Free Senior High School (SHS) Secretariat, Madam Benita Sena Okity-Duah, coinciding with the start of this year’s BECE on Tuesday, 27th May 2025.
Dr. Apaak, who represented the Minister of Education, underscored the government’s ongoing efforts to address major challenges within the secondary education sector, particularly the widely criticised double-track system.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding access and improving quality in the Free SHS programme by integrating private senior high schools into the policy framework.
“As part of our campaign to bring on board private senior high schools to participate in the delivery of the Free Senior High School programme, meetings have been held with experts from our side.
“The eagerness of the private schools to participate is commendable, and we are confident that their involvement will deliver results”.
Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Abass Apaak
He noted that this new development, which is in fulfilment of a manifesto campaign promise, would play a crucial role in phasing out the double-track system.
According to the Deputy Minister, the inclusion of private SHSs will offer more placement opportunities and ease the burden on the existing public infrastructure, thereby creating a more efficient and inclusive educational environment.
BECE Selection Guidelines
Taking over from Dr. Apaak, Madam Benita Sena Okity-Duah provided a detailed overview of the 2025 BECE school selection guidelines.
She emphasised that the Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service, in collaboration with the Free SHS Secretariat, had deployed teams across the country to sensitise candidates, parents, and guardians on the updated selection process.
“Candidates, with the guidance of parents, guardians, and school authorities, are to select a total of seven schools in order of preference, with the first being the top choice.
“In addition to these five main choices, two alternative schools are to be selected from Appendix Three for consideration if a candidate is not placed in any of their five primary selections”.
Madam Benita Sena Okity-Duah, Coordinator of the Free Senior High School (SHS) Secretariat
In line with the emphasis on a holistic and student-centred placement process, candidates are required to indicate both programme and residential preferences, opting for three boarding and two day schools.
She further clarified that a candidate may choose one Category B school as a boarding option and another as a day option, and similarly, one Category C school as a boarding option and another as a day school.
Importantly, Madam Okity-Duah cautioned that placements made based on the choices submitted will be final, asserting that candidates placed in any of their choices will not be changed. “I emphasise, they will not be changed,” she said, urging parents to engage actively and meaningfully in the selection process.
Strict Limitation
Another major aspect of the guidelines is the strict limitation on how many schools a candidate may choose from each category. “Candidates cannot choose more than one school from Category A, and cannot select all five schools from Category C,” she said.
She urged parents not to underestimate Category C schools, stressing that many are well-resourced and offer high-quality academic and extracurricular experiences.
For candidates interested in pursuing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the guidelines require the selection of five institutions offering pure TVET programmes from Categories A, B, and C. These selections must also include both day and boarding options as applicable.
“Candidates who wish to offer program choices about future job prospects, such as engineers, physicians, astronauts, etc., must select STEM sciences in all five choices from categories a, b, c, as day or boarding”.
Madam Benita Sena Okity-Duah, Coordinator of the Free Senior High School (SHS) Secretariat
The school selection form, a crucial document in the placement process, must be signed by both a parent or guardian and submitted to the head teacher of the candidate’s junior high school. Parents are advised to keep a copy of the completed form for their records.
Underscoring the significance of the selection process, Madam Okity-Duah made a heartfelt appeal to parents and guardians to prioritise the exercise.
“It is very, very important. Parents and guardians, let us spend time helping our children make informed and strategic choices. We must match their aspirations with their academic performance to place them on the right educational trajectory.”.
Madam Benita Sena Okity-Duah, Coordinator of the Free Senior High School (SHS) Secretariat
The reversion to the previous school selection format is hailed as a more inclusive and predictable process. By empowering candidates and their families to take an active role in selecting schools, the Ministry of Education aims to strengthen educational outcomes, improve student satisfaction, and ultimately advance the goals of equitable access and quality in Ghana’s secondary education system.
READ ALSO: Kenya Backs Morocco’s Autonomy Plan For Western Sahara
