The Ghana Education Service (GES) has begun the 2025 Senior High School (SHS) placement exercise, successfully assigning 483,800 students—82% of the 590,309 qualified candidates—to public and private secondary institutions nationwide.
Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Clement Apaak announced the figures at a press conference in Accra, noting that of those placed, 248,038 (51.4%) are female students, promoting gender balance in access to education.
The total BECE candidates numbered 603,328—297,250 males and 306,078 females—from 20,395 schools across 2,237 centers. However, 107,509 qualified students (18.2%) were not matched to their top choices due to high demand for Category A schools. To resolve this, a self-placement portal is now active, allowing these students to select from available spots.
This year, the Free SHS Programme pilots 70 private SHSs, all now accessible via the portal, alongside 724 public SHSs and 233 technical and vocational institutions. “The private schools that have agreed to participate will receive government support equivalent to the fees incurred for students enrolling in public institutions,” Dr. Apaak explained.
He stressed that the placement process is entirely free and warned against exploitation: “Anyone soliciting payment must be reported immediately to the nearest police station or to the Office of the Special Prosecutor.” Resolution centers are operational at district, regional, and national levels, with GNAT Hall in Accra as the national hub.
The exercise follows WAEC’s August results release, marred by malpractice: 177 full results canceled, 718 subject results canceled, 93 full results withheld, and 1,240 subject results withheld. Additionally, subject results from 119 schools were canceled, and from 87 schools withheld for review.
Dr. Apaak urged stakeholders to support the students: “Whether placed directly or through the self-placement portal, you have a clear and secure pathway to continue your education. Let us… ensure that this placement exercise contributes to their success and to Ghana’s progress.”
