Hot SourceBy Patrick Biddah
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has admitted to major challenges in the ongoing Senior High School (SHS) placement process and outlined a set of urgent interventions aimed at addressing the growing pressure on Ghana’s secondary education system.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Monday , October 14th , 2025 , the Minister revealed that although over 300,000 students are seeking SHS placement this year, only 76,000 vacancies exist within Category A and B schools , creating a significant shortfall that has triggered widespread public concern.
“What we are witnessing is one of the greatest challenges in the SHS placement process,” Mr. Iddrisu said.
The arithmetic simply does not add up. We do not have enough vacancies at the Category A level for the number of desirous and qualified applicants. As Minister, I do not have the magic to change that math”, he explained.
He emphasized that while the situation is understandably frustrating for families, the Ministry is working on long-term solutions.
Among these is a major policy shift to upgrade lower-ranked schools, which he believes will help ease pressure on the top-tier institutions.
“We owe learners an opportunity to progress in their academic careers. That means we must act swiftly to elevate a number of Category C schools to Category B and Category B schools to Category A, through expanded infrastructure and improved learning environments,” he said.
The Minister also expressed concern over students rejecting placements into schools outside their preferred category, especially when their top choices are oversubscribed.
“Some students are rejecting Category B and C schools outright, even when they didn’t qualify for Category A. That makes the process even more difficult,” he noted.
To correct this imbalance, Mr. Iddrisu announced that the Ministry will pursue aggressive infrastructure expansion across selected Senior High Schools, beginning in 2026, to increase intake capacity.
He confirmed that he has already initiated discussions with the Minister for Finance for budgetary support and funding allocations to begin implementation.
“With strategic investment, we can double and even multiply the numbers. This is the path forward”, he indicated.
Despite the overwhelming demand, the Minister was clear-eyed in his message: there are no shortcuts, but there is a plan.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to equity in education and called on stakeholders, including parents and school heads, to exercise patience and support efforts to build a more balanced and accessible secondary school system.
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