Second-cycle schools selection to begin after BECE results – MoE

The Ministry of Education (MoE), as part of an overhaul of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), says candidates of the Basic Education Certificate Examination will now select their preferred second-cycle schools only after their BECE results are released.

Speaking to journalists, the Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, explained that prospective candidates will be given a one-week window after the release of BECE results to make their school selections.

“In the past, students selected schools without knowing their aggregate, and that affected the placement system. This time, we will provide a mandatory period of one week after results are declared for students to confirm their choices based on their performance,” Mr Haruna Iddrisu said at a press conference.

He said the new policy will enhance fairness, reduce the challenges associated with the computer school placement system, and improve overall efficiency in the admission process into second-cycle schools.

Under the previous system, BECE candidates were required to select their second cycle schools (SHS/SHTS) before sitting for the Basic Education Certificate Examination, often without a clear understanding of their likely academic performance, which frequently led to mismatched placements and inefficiencies in the admission process.

In a related development, the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA), following the reforms to the school selection process, has lauded the government for the new computerised school selection policy.

The General Secretary of the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA), Gapson Kofi Raphael, in an interview, said the measures announced by the Education Minister signal that the government is responsive but cautioned that implementation will be key to restoring confidence in the system.

“I think that it shows clearly that the government is a listening government. We only hope and pray that we walk the talk more beyond the rhetoric,” the PTA General Secretary told JoyNews on April 2, 2026.

He said the new policy giving students a window after results to validate their choices could significantly reduce “anxiety, tension, frustration, and the psychological war” associated with the placement process.

“We all agree as a country that it is not solving the problems, instead compounding the situation and giving room for all forms of exploitation,” he said, describing the reform as “a step in the right direction.”

Meanwhile, the central government, through the Ministry of Education (MoE), last year reintroduced the practice of the selection of second-cycle schools before the commencement of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for final-year Junior High School students.

The selection of second-cycle schools ahead of the Basic Education Certificate Examination policy was abandoned in recent years, as candidates were tasked to select their school of preference after their BECE examination.

The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, announced the reversal as part of several reforms to improve school selection and placement during a briefing held at the Ministry of Education, urging parents and guardians to be involved in the school placement process, as head teachers and teachers have been barred from assisting candidates.

“Parents are encouraged to seek guidance from their child’s Junior High School (JHS) authorities when filling out the second cycle school forms.

It is crucial that parents take an active interest in this process, as the choices made will determine the senior high school their wards attend after completing basic education,” the Deputy Minister in Charge of Education said.

“Importantly, no headteacher or teacher is permitted to complete the second cycle school selection form on behalf of a student without the explicit consent of the parent or guardian

The secondary school selection form must be signed by the parent or guardian and submitted to the headteacher of the candidate’s Junior High School (JHS),” Dr Clement Apaak said at the launch of new school selection guidelines.

The Coordinator of the Free Senior High School Secretariat, Sena Okity-Duah, says the shift to second-cycle schools before the national examination is intended to avoid confusion and ensure candidates and parents take full responsibility for the schools selected.

This year, BECE candidates are required to select seven schools — five main choices and two alternatives. The five main schools must be selected in order of preference, with three being boarding options and two as day schools.

Prospective students to sit for the Basic Education Certificate Examination are not permitted to choose more than one Category A school or more than two from Category B, though they may select all five from Category C if necessary.

The 2025 edition of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to be administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is expected to commence on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 to Wednesday 15, 2025.

Relatedly, an official of the Ministry of Education says candidates are required to select seven secondary schools in total — five main choices and two alternatives — and these must be done in order of preference.

Speaking in an interview monitored by Pretertiary.com, the Education Ministry official said out of the five main choices, at least three must be boarding schools, while the remaining two should be day schools.

“Candidates are permitted to choose Category B and C schools as either day or boarding options. However, the new guidelines strictly prohibit candidates from selecting more than one Category A school and not more than two schools from Category B.

While students may select schools from Category C, they are not allowed to choose all five main options from that category. Once a candidate is placed in a selected school, that choice cannot be changed,” he stated.

Principal Information Officer Larry George Botchway further appealed to candidates and guardians to consider selecting more schools from Category C to reduce the over-subscription of the Category A second-cycle schools.