GES Confirms Smooth Reporting for 590,000 First-Year SHS Students Amid Minor Congestion
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has reported a largely seamless start to the school reporting process for first-year Senior High School (SHS) students nationwide, with monitoring teams observing positive integration on the opening day despite some logistical challenges at select institutions.
In a statement on Channel One Newsroom, GES Public Relations Officer Daniel Fenyi highlighted the success of the three-day reporting window, spanning Saturday, October 18, to Monday, October 20.
This period accommodates the influx of an estimated 590,000 freshers for the 2025/2026 academic year—a record 5% increase from the previous cohort, fueled by higher Junior High School completion rates and the Free SHS policy’s expanded access.
GES teams conducted on-site visits to various campuses, noting that “the process was ongoing very smoothly in a lot of the places,” Fenyi said.
While acknowledging minor overcrowding at a few schools on Saturday, Fenyi stressed that authorities maintained control, with some institutions advising delayed arrivals until Monday to stagger entries and facilitate better orientation. The harmonized prospectus for required supplies, released earlier in September, has helped standardize preparations and reduce parental anxiety over purchases.
Fenyi urged parents of unreported students to ensure prompt arrival by the Monday deadline, emphasizing the value of early participation in psychosocial support and academic setup. “You wouldn’t want your child to miss the first week…
That way, your child won’t miss this important orientation exercise,” he advised. The Ministry of Education echoed this in a Friday statement, hailing the placements—processed via the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) for over 850,000 applicants—as a “key milestone” and commending families for their cooperation.
As academic activities commence under both single-track and transitional double-track systems, authorities are prioritizing discipline, enthusiasm, and inclusivity. A national support hotline and counseling officers stand ready to assist with adjustments, particularly for students relocating from home, aligning with Ghana’s goal of universal secondary education by 2030.
