Private School Associations petition CHRAJ to end 30% school placement priority for public schools

The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) and the Ghana National Council of Private Schools(GNACOPS) have submitted a petition to the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), urging it to advocate on their behalf for the government to abolish the 30% school placement priority granted to public basic schools.

Speaking at a joint press conference held on Thursday, November 14, at Ghana International Press Centre in Accra, GNACOPS National Executive Director, Obenfo Nana K. Gyetuah expressed concern that the 30% school placement priority given to BECE students from public schools undermines the rights of private school students under Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.

He argued that this policy creates a barrier that discriminates against private school students who, despite academic merit, are denied equitable access to Category A schools.

He stated that this approach violates the purpose and spirit of Article 25(5) and contradicts the foundational principle of equality before the law as set out in Article 17.

“In light of Article 25(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which unequivocally affirms that “Every person shall have the right, at his own expense, to establish and maintain a private school or schools at all levels and of such categories and in accordance with such conditions as may be provided by law,” the Constitution enshrines and protects the right to establish and maintain private educational institutions”, he said.

He urged CHRAJ to conduct a thorough investigation to determine if the 30% priority placement system breaches the 1992 Constitution and to recommend the immediate abolition of this system in favour of a merit-based admission policy for all students, regardless of school type.

Gyetuah called on CHRAJ to address this issue promptly, emphasizing that every day the policy remains in effect, it infringes on the constitutional rights of Ghanaian children.

“We urge CHRAJ to act swiftly in addressing this grave injustice, as every day that this policy remains in effect, it continues to infringe upon the constitutional rights of Ghana’s children. The pathway to Ghana’s top-tier educational institutions must be determined by merit, not by the arbitrary distinctions of school type. The government’s obligation, as enshrined in Article 25(2), is to ensure that private school students are treated with the same legal dignity and fairness as their peers in public schools,” he said.