The Member of Parliament for Akyem Oda in the Eastern Region, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has criticised the government over its handling of the 2026 Senior High School (SHS) placement exercise, particularly its failure to utilise available spaces in private schools to accommodate candidates who remain unplaced.
Mr Acquah, a former Deputy Minister of Health, said the situation is inconsistent with the government’s earlier commitment to involve qualified private SHSs in the implementation of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.
In a Facebook post, the MP accused the government of disappointing private school operators and questioned why students are still without placements despite some private institutions having the capacity to admit them.
“Awwww NDC has done it again. They have woefully disappointed the private SHS schools,” Mr Acquah wrote.
He added: “They promised to allow them to absorb the BECE graduates but now most of these graduates are not getting schools while the private schools have spaces to absorb them… scam.”
Mr Acquah’s criticism comes amid renewed calls for greater involvement of private schools in the Free SHS programme.
While in opposition, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and then flagbearer John Dramani Mahama proposed incorporating qualified private secondary schools into the programme as a way of expanding access and addressing capacity constraints within the public SHS system.
The proposal identified private educational institutions as important partners in Ghana’s education sector and envisaged the participation of schools with the required infrastructure, teaching personnel and academic capacity.
Earlier versions of the NDC manifesto also proposed extending support to private secondary schools operating in underserved and deprived communities.
The issue has gained prominence following challenges associated with the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), which has left a significant number of BECE candidates without placements after the initial exercise.
The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) says 54,985 candidates who were not placed could potentially be accommodated by qualified private SHSs.
According to the council, 85 private SHSs within its membership have the necessary infrastructure, academic capacity and vacant spaces to admit the affected students.
GNACOPS has therefore called on the government to allow the identified schools to participate in the Free SHS programme to help address the placement gap.
The council is not calling for a completely new arrangement. Instead, it wants the government, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to activate and expand the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that provides a framework for private schools to participate in the Free SHS policy.
GNACOPS argues that utilising existing capacity in the private sector could provide a quicker response to the placement challenge while reducing pressure on public SHSs, many of which continue to face capacity constraints.
For the private schools, the arrangement would also provide an opportunity to put their available infrastructure and human resources to use in supporting national efforts to expand access to secondary education.
Mr Acquah’s intervention adds political pressure to the calls for the government to resolve the placement difficulties and clarify how private SHSs will be incorporated into the Free SHS programme.
The immediate concern for parents and affected candidates, however, remains securing placements for the thousands of BECE graduates who are yet to obtain admission, particularly where available spaces exist within qualified private institutions.
By 1960news.com
