Free SHS: EduWatch sounds alarm over 72,000 placement gap

Education think-tank, Africa Education Watch, has warned that Ghana’s Free SHS/TVET system could leave approximately 72,000 qualified students without placement in 2026 unless urgent interventions are implemented.

In its Volume 37 Education Alert Policy Brief released on May 12, 2026, Eduwatch stated that available school capacity may be insufficient to accommodate the growing number of students seeking admission into senior high and technical/vocational institutions, according to a report by citinewsroom.com on May 12, 2026.

The organisation noted that although about 620,000 candidates sat for the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), an estimated 607,000 are expected to qualify for placement under the Free SHS programme.

However, current infrastructure and intake capacity could leave nearly 72,000 students without access to placement.

Eduwatch further observed that transition efficiency has dropped significantly from 92 per cent in 2024 to 82 per cent in 2025, intensifying concerns over the placement process.

“Declining transition efficiency… could generate an effective placement deficit of approximately 72,000 qualified candidates if immediate policy interventions are not undertaken,” the policy brief warned.

According to the organisation, the projected shortfall is being driven by several factors, including the phased reduction of the Double Track system in some schools, mismatches between available vacancies and student preferences, and geographical barriers affecting the distribution of placements.

The brief also highlighted the limited absorption capacity from private senior high school integration efforts as a contributing factor.

Eduwatch is therefore calling for urgent measures, including the rapid expansion of boarding facilities, accelerated completion of ongoing school infrastructure projects, and improvements in the efficiency of the school placement system ahead of the August placement period.

The organisation also urged the government to maximise the use of private-sector educational capacity to reduce pressure on public schools.

It warned that failure to implement immediate reforms could result in what it described as the most severe secondary education transition bottleneck in Ghana’s history.

NAD/VPO

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