In a major update to the school placement process, all candidates sitting for the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) will now be required to choose seven senior high or TVET schools before they write the exams.
This new directive was announced by the National Free SHS Coordinator, Benetta Okiti Duah, during a press briefing in Accra on May 27. The initiative aims to reduce confusion and pressure during the school placement process and ensure transparency in school selection.
Key highlights of the new BECE school selection policy include:
Seven schools must be selected before the exams: Five main choices and two alternatives.
Candidates must choose schools with guidance from parents, guardians, and teachers.
School selection starts immediately and ends on June 6, 2025.
Selections will include programme and residential preferences: Three boarding and two day schools.
Candidates cannot:
Choose more than one Category A school.
Choose two schools from Category B.
Change their selection after submission.
Candidates may choose:
One Category B school as boarding and another as day.
One Category C school as boarding and another as day.
All five main schools from Category C if they prefer.
In previous years, students selected schools after writing the BECE, which led to confusion, parental complaints, and reports of poor placement outcomes. Some parents accused teachers of selecting schools without consent, while others expressed frustration when students weren’t placed in their preferred schools.
With the new system, the Ghana Education Service (GES) aims to streamline the placement process, ensuring that selections are made early and with full transparency.
In a related development, the Ministry of Education is finalizing discussions to include private senior high schools in the placement process. This move is expected to enhance access to quality education and help phase out the double-track system.
Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, noted:
“We’ve held engagements with private SHSs, and we are confident they will deliver. This is a crucial step in expanding the reach of the Free SHS programme.”
Parents and candidates are advised to act promptly and consult school authorities when making their selections. Missing the June 6 deadline may affect placement opportunities.