The Ministry of Education has announced the inclusion of 25 private senior high schools in the 2025 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) under the Free SHS policy, marking the first time private schools have been added to the flagship programme.
The move is expected to improve access to quality second-cycle education, especially in areas where existing public SHSs are unable to admit all qualified students.
The selected private institutions, designated as Category E schools, 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.
In a statement signed by Prince Agyemang-Duah, Director of the Schools and Instruction Division at the Ghana Education Service (GES), the deadline for school selection has been extended to Wednesday, 25 June 2025, to give students ample time to consider these new additions.
The statement also explained that this expansion is part of a pilot phase being implemented in collaboration with the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), targeting areas where public SHSs face infrastructure deficits.
“This milestone reflects the Ministry’s ongoing commitment to equity and access in education,” the statement said. It further noted that the pilot would be closely assessed to inform potential future expansion.
The Ministry, together with the GES and GNACOPS, will support the selected private schools with training, monitoring, and infrastructure where necessary, to ensure they meet operational standards under the Free SHS programme. Schools will also undergo capacity-building and preparatory assessments as part of their integration into the system.
