E/R Free SHS Coordinator Assures NDC Parents Of Schools

The Eastern Regional Coordinator of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) Secretariat, Charles Nyame, has made a controversial statement suggesting that the government was willing to support parents whose children were facing difficulties securing Senior High School placement, but that such assistance would be available to members and executives of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

His comments, made at the Comrades Care Fund event at Asamankese in the Lower West Akim Municipality of the Eastern Region, have sparked questions about whether access to government-supported education could be influenced by political affiliation.

Mr. Nyame told the gathering that parents who had supported and worked for the NDC over the years should be allowed to enjoy the benefits of their loyalty to the party. He further said he was ready to intervene in SHS placement difficulties for NDC members and executives.

“Our mothers and fathers who have been with the NDC for a longer period of time, we will make sure you benefit from the party. Even if you do not benefit, your children and grandchildren will benefit.

“As I talk to you, I am the Free SHS Coordinator for the Eastern Region, so if your child needs admission into a school in anyway and you see me, if you’re an NDC member or executive, we will do it for you to get a school,” he said.

The comments come at a particularly sensitive time, with thousands of parents and students anxiously searching for answers over this year’s placement exercise.

Reports indicate that more than 55,000 students are yet to secure placement, leaving worried parents visiting resolution centers to seek help.

Some parents have complained that the schools initially assigned to their children were later changed, while others say their wards remain without placements.

For many families, the issue is more than just a school name on a computer screen. It is about children who have spent years studying, written the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), and now face uncertainty over where they will continue their education.

Official figures, however, suggest that Ghana has enough SHS places overall, but the challenge lies in where those places are available.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) reported that 604,567 candidates qualified for placement, with 527,932, representing 87.3 percent, automatically placed. It also reported more than 800,000 declared vacancies across the system.

However, demand remains extremely high for Category A schools. More than 300,000 candidates reportedly sought places in 94 Category A schools, where only about 76,000 vacancies were available.

The Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) considers several factors, including academic performance, school choices, programme preferences, residential status and available vacancies.

Mr. Nyame’s comments have now raised questions about whether SHS placement should be based on the official rules or political connections.