Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, has publicly condemned the Ministry of Education’s decision to let Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates select senior high schools (SHSs) after receiving their results. He described the approach as “backward” and warned that it would create a rush for the most competitive Category A schools.
Agyemang noted that many students this year were unable to secure admission to any of the schools they had chosen, citing the overall poor performance of the BECE cohort as a contributing factor. He said the policy could have been more effective if schools were not categorised and all institutions offered equal chances of selection.
He argued that the challenges faced during this year’s placement exercise were predictable and could have been avoided had earlier concerns been addressed. “I told them this was the hazard that was going to happen,” he said. Agyemang called for a review of the school selection and placement system to better match students’ choices with available vacancies and to reconsider the categorisation of senior high schools.
The MP added that the current situation is worse than previous chaotic placement exercises, leaving more parents and candidates struggling to secure placements. He urged the government to heed warnings and reform the process to ease the difficulties faced by families nationwide.
