Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana, has argued that the scramble by parents to secure placements for their wards in Ghana’s top-ranked senior high schools is a reflection of deeper infrastructure inequalities within the country’s secondary education system.
According to him, many parents continue to prioritise so-called Grade A schools because they believe those institutions are better equipped to provide quality education compared to others with inadequate facilities.
Speaking during parliamentary proceedings on July 21, 2026, Agbana said until government addresses the uneven distribution of educational infrastructure across senior high schools, the pressure on a few preferred schools will persist.
The Ketu North legislator, who serves on Parliament’s Education Committee, said his experience visiting selected senior high schools revealed that even some schools regarded as Grade A institutions are struggling with infrastructure challenges.
“Even the schools that are regarded as Grade A schools, many of them have infrastructure deficits,” he said.
Agbana recalled that the intense competition for placements in specific schools, including instances where parents gathered at the Independence Square to demand placements for their wards, was largely driven by perceptions that certain schools offer better learning conditions.
“The only reason why we are all chasing particular schools for our wards and for our constituents is because we believe those schools are better equipped to offer quality education,” he stated.
He warned that the situation is likely to repeat itself after the release of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results and the commencement of the school placement process.
“I can predict that after the release of the results, many parents and even we Members of Parliament will be chasing authorities in charge of placement to ensure that constituents and our wards are placed in particular schools,” he said.
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Agbana pointed to disparities in the distribution of Grade A senior high schools across regions, describing the situation as a major concern.
“Savannah Region, not a single Grade A school. Oti Region, not a single Grade A school. The whole Northern Region, only four Grade A schools,” he noted.
He said the proposed World Bank facility provides an opportunity to improve infrastructure across schools and promote fairness in access to quality education.
Agbana said the funding would support the upgrading of more than 30 schools from Grade B to Grade A, the rehabilitation of over 150 schools, and the construction of 10 new schools.
He further emphasised that the majority of the funds would be directed towards physical infrastructure development.
“What excites me about the facility is that 86 per cent of the money that the government is going for will be dedicated solely to infrastructure projects,” he said.
He explained that the $257.7 million allocation for infrastructure would help address critical deficits affecting schools across the country.
Agbana urged both sides of Parliament to support the financing arrangement, arguing that education must be treated as a national development priority rather than a partisan issue.
“When it comes to issues of education, they are issues that we must not play partisan politics with because it is at the core of our development,” he said.
His comments come amid Parliament’s consideration of a proposed $300 million World Bank financing facility aimed at transforming the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.
Watch the video below
Edem Agbana explains how World Bank support will expand access to education
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