By Hafsa Obeng
Accra, Sept. 6, GNA – The Conference of Heads of Private Second-Cycle Schools (CHOPSS) says its accredited member schools are ready to absorb 54,985 candidates who did not secure placement into public senior high schools under the 2026 placement exercise.
The Conference said the affected candidates who sat for this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) should not be deterred by their inability to secure placement in a public SHS as that was not the end of their educational journey.
In a statement issued to the Ghana News Agency on Friday in Accra, the CHOPSS said its member schools had the capacity, experience and commitment to provide the affected students with quality second-cycle education and support them to achieve their academic aspirations.
It noted that prior to the introduction of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy in 2017, candidates who fell below the cut-off points for admission into public SHSs were often absorbed by private second-cycle institutions.
The statement said those schools had historically provided a “second chance” to students who did not meet the admission requirements of their preferred public institutions.
“Over the years, many students who were admitted into private second-cycle schools after falling outside the cut-off point system were trained, nurtured and supported to improve academically and develop the requisite skills and confidence to compete favourably with their colleagues in public SHSs,” it said.
The statement added that a significant number of such students subsequently gained admission to tertiary institutions in Ghana and abroad and were contributing to national development in both the public and private sectors.
CHOPSS acknowledged that the implementation of the Free SHS policy had had diverse effects on private second-cycle schools, but maintained that private institutions remained an important component of Ghana’s second-cycle education system.
It, therefore, called on all accredited member schools to consider admitting the affected candidates at discounted and affordable fees, where possible, to enable more families to access quality second-cycle education.
The CHOPSS Secretariat, it said, was also available to provide information on accredited private second-cycle schools and assist parents in identifying institutions within their respective areas.
CHOPSS expressed confidence that the collective commitment of private second-cycle schools, parents, guardians and other stakeholders could transform the current placement challenge into an opportunity for the affected young people to begin a new chapter in their education.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Hafsa Obeng