Accra: Parents and guardians of 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates must select Senior High Schools between Tuesday, May 27, and Friday, June 6, ahead of the main examination on June 11. The new arrangement, which includes Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) schools, aims to address challenges in the selection process.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mrs. Benita Sena Okity-Duah, National Coordinator of the Free Senior High School Secretariat, announced the details at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday. She urged parents and guardians to assist candidates in selecting seven schools for SHS/TVET enrolment. Parents are required to rank five schools in order of preference and select two alternative schools from Appendix '3' for consideration if placement in the main choices is unsuccessful.
Parents must also choose programmes and residential preferences, which include three boarding and two-day schools. Mrs. Okity-Duah clarified that one category B school could be chosen as a boarding school and another as a day school, while a category C school could be selected as either boarding or day school.
Additionally, candidates cannot select more than one school from category A and are limited to choosing no more than two schools from category B. For those opting for TVET programmes, five institutes must be selected from categories A, B, and C as either day or boarding schools. Similarly, candidates considering STEM programmes must select STEM/science schools in all five choices from categories A, B, and C.
Mrs. Okity-Duah emphasized the importance of parents and guardians assisting candidates with filling out and signing the school selection form before submitting it to the Junior High School Headteacher. She advised parents to make careful school selections, noting that placements would not be modified.
To ensure widespread understanding of the new guidelines, a team from the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service has been deployed across regions to sensitise the public. Mrs. Okity-Duah also announced a reduction in the quota placement for public schools from 30 percent to 15 percent.
Mr. Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah, National Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools, expressed support for the quota reduction, stating, "For now, we are okay with the reduction. We hope it will further be reduced in years to come to give equal opportunities to both public and private schools for placement."
