MOE BLAMES PREFERENCE-VACANCY MISMATCH FOR SHS PLACEMENT CHALLENGES

The Ministry of Education has attributed the challenges facing some qualified candidates in securing automatic placement in Senior High Schools (SHSs) to a mismatch between candidates’ school preferences and available vacancies.

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Apaak, said the high number of candidates choosing Category A schools as their first choice had placed significant pressure on the available spaces in those institutions.

According to Dr Apaak, an analysis of candidates’ first-choice selections under the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) showed that 313,283 candidates selected Category A schools.

He said 176,614 candidates chose Category B schools, while 123,577 candidates selected Category C schools as their first choice.

Dr Apaak explained that although vacancies remained in some schools, the available spaces do not necessarily correspond with the preferences of candidates seeking placement.

He said the concentration of candidates in Category A schools had therefore created a significant gap between the demand for places in those institutions and the number of spaces available.

The situation means some qualified candidates may not receive automatic placement in their preferred schools, despite vacancies existing elsewhere within the placement system.

To this end, the Education Ministry encouraged stakeholders to understand the relationship between school preferences and available vacancies as the 2026 CSSPS placement process continues. BY REBECCA TETTEH