85 private schools to participate in Free SHS

‎By Kodjo Adams ‎Accra, Sept. 7, GNA – Eighty-five private Senior High Schools (SHSs) will join the Free SHS Programme for the 2026/27 academic year to create additional placement opportunities. ‎The move is expected to ease pressure on highly subscribed public schools and expand access to secondary education. ‎Dr Clement Apaak, Deputy Minister of Education, announced this at a press briefing in Accra on Monday. ‎He said the initiative was part of the Government's strategy to leverage existing capacity in the private education sector. Dr Apaak said candidates required to use the self-placement system had been encouraged to consider participating private SHSs alongside available public SHSs, Senior High Technical Schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions. ‎He said the additional capacity was necessary because of strong demand for some schools. ‎For the 2026 placement exercise, 313,283 candidates selected Category A schools as their first choice, while the schools had 76,417 declared vacancies. ‎Dr Apaak cautioned parents and candidates against paying individuals who claimed they could secure or change school placements under the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System. ‎He said that school placement was free and there was no legitimate 'protocol placement' that required payment. ‎'Parents and candidates should not pay anyone claiming to be an official of the Ministry, Ghana Education Service, Ghana TVET Service, a school official, intermediary or other third party in exchange for securing or influencing a placement,' he said. ‎The Deputy Minister said the Ministry had established regional and national placement resolution centres to assist candidates and parents with genuine challenges. ‎ ‎'The GNAT Hall in Accra has been designated as the National Placement Resolution Centre, while candidates and parents are encouraged to first seek assistance from GES or Ghana TVET Service offices at the regional level. ‎'Technical teams have been deployed to resolve genuine placement problems and reduce the cost and inconvenience associated with seeking assistance,' he said. ‎GNA ‎Edited by Kenneth Sackey ‎Reporter: Kodjo Adams [email protected] ‎