‘We are going to convert 20 Category B schools into A; build 10 new model Category A schools’ — Education Minister
The government is set to increase the number of spaces available in top-tier Senior High Schools (SHSs) by upgrading 20 Category B schools to Category A and constructing 10 new model Category A institutions.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu said the initiative is part of measures to address the growing demand for places in high-demand schools and ease pressure on the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
Speaking on TV3 New Day’s The Big Issue on September 11, the Minister said the government had secured $300 million from the World Bank under the STARR-J initiative to support the expansion of educational infrastructure.
“We are going to convert 20 Category B schools into A and we will build 10 new model Category A schools in the country,” he said.
Mr Iddrisu further disclosed that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) had been directed to give priority to infrastructure expansion in Category A schools under the 2027 funding formula.
He said between GH¢250 million and GH¢300 million should be allocated towards expanding facilities in 10 Category A schools, particularly in response to the concentration of demand in those institutions.
“I have already issued policy directive to the GETFund Administrator in a conversation at Achimota School that we should dedicate 250-300 million to expand infrastructure in 10 Category A schools because it is a matter of demand concentration,” Mr Iddrisu said.
The Minister attributed part of the current placement difficulties to the rapid rise in enrolment following the introduction of the Free SHS programme, arguing that the expansion in student numbers was not matched by corresponding investment in infrastructure.
“So, if over an eight-year period, you introduce a Free SHS and fail to support it with expanded infrastructure to accommodate the exponential increase in numbers, you don’t blame government for it,” he said.
His comments come amid renewed concerns over the 2026 CSSPS exercise, with many students seeking admission to Category A schools competing for a relatively limited number of available places.
Mr Iddrisu previously disclosed that 328,000 students had selected Category A schools while only 76,000 vacancies were available, describing the gap between demand and capacity as a major challenge for the placement system.
He said expanding infrastructure in the most sought-after schools was therefore essential to creating additional capacity and reducing the pressure on the CSSPS.
