The Ministry of Education says difficulties faced by some qualified 2026 BECE candidates in securing their preferred Senior High Schools (SHSs) are largely due to a mismatch between candidates’ choices and available vacancies, rather than a shortage of spaces.
Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, made the clarification during a press briefing on the release of the 2026 Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) results.
According to the Ministry, 604,567 candidates qualified for placement into SHSs, Senior High Technical Schools and Technical and Vocational Institutions, with 527,932 already placed, representing about 87.3 percent.
Dr. Apaak said demand was heavily concentrated in Category A schools, with 313,283 candidates selecting them as their first choice. Category B schools recorded 176,614 first-choice selections, while Category C had 123,577.
Meanwhile, the system recorded 859,828 declared vacancies, including 76,417 in Category A, 250,366 in Category B and 468,652 in Category C schools.
“The issue, therefore, is not simply the availability of spaces in our secondary education system. It is largely a mismatch between where vacancies exist and where candidates most strongly prefer to be placed,” Dr. Apaak said.
“This explains why a candidate may qualify for secondary education but not necessarily secure their preferred school or program.”
The Ministry has urged candidates who were not automatically matched with their choices to use the self-placement portal and consider schools and programmes with available vacancies.
Parents and guardians have also been encouraged to help candidates consider factors such as available vacancies, programmes, location and their educational needs.
Meanwhile, 85 private SHSs are participating in the Free SHS Programme for the 2026/2027 academic year, providing additional placement options and helping to ease pressure on highly subscribed public schools.
The Ministry says the broader objective is to ensure that every qualified candidate has an opportunity to continue their education while maintaining the integrity of the placement system.
