In a significant policy shift, the Ministry of Education has approved 25 private senior high schools (SHSs) for inclusion in the 2025 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) under Ghana’s Free SHS programme.
This marks the first time private SHSs have been integrated into the Free SHS initiative, which has previously been limited to public institutions. The move aims to expand access to quality secondary education, especially in communities where public schools are oversubscribed or lack adequate infrastructure.
The selected schools, designated as Category E institutions, are co-educational day schools located across all 16 regions. They offer a wide range of academic programmes including General Arts, General Science, Business, Technical, Visual Arts, Home Economics, and Agriculture.
According to a statement issued by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and signed by Prince Agyemang-Duah, Director of the Schools and Instruction Division, the school selection deadline has been extended to Wednesday, June 25, 2025, to allow students and parents to consider these newly available options.
The inclusion of private schools forms part of a pilot expansion of the Free SHS policy, implemented in collaboration with the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS).
Officials say the initiative is focused on areas where public SHSs are unable to absorb all qualified students due to infrastructure limitations. By tapping into the capacity of private institutions, the government hopes to bridge accessibility gaps and enhance educational equity.
The development has been welcomed by education stakeholders as a potential game-changer in addressing placement bottlenecks and improving outcomes across Ghana’s second-cycle education system.
