Government's school placement policy continues to promote fairness, merit and equal access - Education Minister

The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring that Ghana's Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) remains transparent, merit-based and equitable, insisting that the policy continues to expand access to quality secondary education for all qualified students.

Addressing Parliament, the Minister assured lawmakers that the school placement system is designed to uphold fairness while providing equal educational opportunities regardless of a student's background.

His remarks came during a parliamentary session where he responded to questions on the implementation of the CSSPS, the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme and other policy issues under the Ministry of Education.

Haruna Iddrisu told Parliament that the Constitution of Ghana guarantees every child the right to equal access to education, stressing that government policies are aligned with that constitutional obligation.

According to him, the Computerised School Selection and Placement System has become an important tool for promoting transparency, eliminating human interference in admissions and ensuring that qualified students are placed in senior high schools based on clearly established criteria.

He explained that the system has significantly improved fairness in the placement process while widening access to quality second-cycle education across the country.

The Education Minister reiterated that under the Free SHS policy, government has maintained measures to ensure that students from public basic schools have greater opportunities to gain admission into some of Ghana's most sought-after senior high schools.

He noted that at least 30 percent of available places in Category "A" Senior High Schools are reserved for graduates of public basic schools as part of efforts to promote equity and bridge educational disparities.

According to the Minister, the policy seeks to ensure that academically talented students from less privileged backgrounds are not disadvantaged in accessing quality secondary education.

Presenting the 2025 Computerised School Selection and Placement System results, Haruna Iddrisu disclosed that 71,406 graduates from public basic schools secured admission into Category "A" Senior High Schools.

He said the figure represents 57.91 percent of all placements into the country's top-tier secondary schools, far exceeding the government's minimum target of 30 percent.

The Minister described the achievement as clear evidence that the government's education policies are delivering meaningful results by expanding opportunities for students from public schools while preserving merit-based admissions.

He added that the outcome reflects the success of ongoing reforms aimed at making access to quality education more inclusive and balanced.

Haruna Iddrisu further assured Parliament that government remains focused on improving educational infrastructure, expanding access to learning resources and implementing policies that enhance equity throughout the education sector.

He said investments in classrooms, teaching and learning materials, teacher development and educational technology would continue as part of broader efforts to improve learning outcomes nationwide.

The Minister stressed that government will continue to review and strengthen education policies to ensure that every qualified Ghanaian student has a fair opportunity to access quality education regardless of geographical location or socioeconomic background.

He reaffirmed that fairness, transparency and inclusion will remain central pillars of Ghana's education system as the Ministry works to improve standards and expand opportunities for future generations.