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Parents and their wards over hundreds on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, have besieged the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Accra over the 2025 BECE placement.
The parents, accompanied by their children, expressed frustration over the BECE placement.
Some parents expressed frustration over challenges of misplaced placements and difficulties in accessing schools their wards have been placed in.
One parent stated, “I came here to change the school that the system gave to my son. Since we got here, the queue has been just overwhelming.
“My ward got St Fidelis SHS I don’t even know where that school is located. I wish he attended the school close to us, and particularly, we want a day school.
“With the pace at which the queue is moving, I doubt they will be able to attend to us today. Even if they stick to the one-week timeline they gave, I doubt they can attend to all of us,” he said.
Some parents also alleged that the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) made errors that wrongly disadvantaged their wards.
Meanwhile, Kofi Asare, the Director of Africa Education Watch, has said there are enough SHS spaces, but parents want popular schools.
He called on parents to manage their expectations regarding the ongoing 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) placement process.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, September 23, Kofi Asare explained, “The resolution starts with parents, because we have more spaces in schools than we actually need. Which means that we have the capacity to absorb all the 590,000 students that want to be placed this year.
“But the issue is that while the country has spaces in our secondary schools, the spaces do not meet the full expectations, tastes and choices of parents and, by extension, the candidates,” he said.
He added, “One of the challenges is the over-democratisation of school placement, where you are told that you have the right to choose. But that is not absolute. It is relative within a merit-based system. You may wish to go to Labone SHS to do science, but you must also know that the school is a competitive Category B school.
“So, your chance of going there is not a matter of choosing but also making a competitive grade with respect to the course you are choosing, whether you want to be a day student or not. These two things determine the extent of competition,” he explained.
Kofi Asare further highlighted that equitable access to education requires parents to embrace all schools across categories.
“So, parents should understand that it is not possible for any government to serve them with the choice of their school for their wards. The only way we can ensure equitable access to second-cycle school is to ensure that all schools, regardless of their categories, are patronised by parents,” he added.
Also, the Deputy Education Minister, Dr Clement Apaak had earlier said the government is working to resolve all cases before the official reporting date in October.
Dr Apaak stated, “Not every student will get their first choice, especially in the top-tier schools where demand is high. But there are equally good schools available that can meet their educational needs.
“Our teams are on the ground to assist, and we are confident that the majority of cases will be resolved,” he said.
He further added, “Even if we are not able to resolve every single case immediately, most will be settled well ahead of the reporting date”.