The Ghanaian Education Ministry has announced that more than 50% of the over 53,000 students who did not receive placement through Ghana's Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) have successfully secured placement through the self-placement process. According to Hashmin Mohammed, Press Secretary to Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, this development has eased pressure on the ministry's resolution centres, which had been crowded with parents and students seeking assistance over placement issues.
As of the latest update, 33,726 students have successfully secured placement in various schools out of the 53,887 students eligible for self-placement. The resolution centres, which were extended by one week by the Ministry of Education, were opened from Monday, September 14, to Friday, September 18, to allow students with outstanding placement issues to secure schools ahead of the September 18 reopening. This move was aimed at ensuring that students who faced challenges with the CSSPS, including unsuccessful placement, difficulties with school selection, and requests to change placements, could find a solution.
The CSSPS Secretariat resolved 4,531 cases out of the 9,948 reported cases at resolution centres across the country. The centres remained active from Monday till Friday, with the hope that the numbers would decrease by Friday, as students were expected to report to school on September 18. The challenges faced by students and parents included difficulties with school selection, requests to change placements from day to boarding and vice versa, and frustration with the resolution process.
Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Apaak, announced that candidates who obtained a grade 9 in English Language and/or Mathematics were offered the opportunity to choose an available school themselves through the CSSPS. This move aimed to ensure that no young person was left behind while maintaining the integrity of the placement and examination systems. The affected individuals could select schools and programmes with available vacancies through the CSSPS.
According to the provisional results released by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for the 2026 WASSCE for school candidates, a total of 74,692 candidates who sat for the examination obtained an F9 in Core Mathematics, representing 14.82% of the candidates who wrote the subject. The results showed that 306,234 candidates, representing 60.75%, obtained grades between A1 and C6 in Core Mathematics.
The WAEC results also revealed that Core Mathematics recorded the lowest A1-C6 performance among the four core subjects. In comparison, 315,094 candidates, representing 62.40%, obtained A1 to C6 in English Language, while 309,605 candidates, representing 62.08%, recorded grades between A1 and C6 in Integrated Science. Social Studies recorded the highest performance, with 393,918 candidates, representing 78.04%, obtaining grades from A1 to C6.
The Education Ministry's efforts to address the placement challenges faced by students have yielded positive results, with over 33,000 students securing placement through self-placement. The ministry's decision to extend the resolution centres and offer self-placement opportunities to students who obtained a grade 9 in English Language and/or Mathematics has helped to reduce the pressure on the resolution centres and ensure that more students access secondary education.
Key points
- Over 33,000 unplaced BECE graduates have secured placement through self-placement.
- The Education Ministry's resolution centres resolved 4,531 cases out of 9,948 reported cases.
- Candidates who obtained a grade 9 in English Language and/or Mathematics were offered the opportunity to choose an available school themselves through the CSSPS.
