The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that the government is developing a comprehensive plan to upgrade select senior high schools from Category B to Category A status, as part of efforts to address long-standing challenges in the school placement system.
The initiative, which is expected to roll out in 2026, will also see the conversion of some Category C schools to Category B. It aims to improve equity, expand access, and reduce pressure on the country’s limited number of elite Category A schools, which are often oversubscribed.
Speaking at the launch of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Triennale on Education Conference, Mr. Iddrisu said the current school placement system is plagued by severe competition and limited vacancies in top-tier schools.
“The ministry acknowledges that there is a significant challenge when there are 76,000 vacancies, but 393,000 qualified applicants desiring to fill them. The challenge is described as a near impossibility,” he noted.
Mr. Iddrisu disclosed that discussions with President John Mahama have already begun, outlining a phased upgrade plan to increase the number of high-performing senior high schools across the country.
“To address equity and capacity, the Minister has discussed with the President a plan for 2026 to convert at least 10 Category C schools to Category B, and 10 Category B schools to Category A,” he revealed.
He emphasised that the conversion will not be in name only, but will be backed by significant infrastructure investment — including additional classroom blocks, dormitories, and the provision of improved teaching and learning materials.
“But I will need budgetary support and allocation to do that,” Mr. Iddrisu stressed, signalling that the initiative is contingent on financial backing from Parliament and the Ministry of Finance.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of increasing pressure on the Ministry of Education from the Coalition of Unpaid Teachers, made up of graduates from Colleges of Education and public universities who claim to have gone over 13 months without receiving salaries.
Mr. Iddrisu recently received a petition from the group on Tuesday, September 30, and assured them that the Ministry is working with the Finance Ministry to present a joint memorandum to Cabinet to resolve the issue.
“We recognise the contributions and sacrifices of our teachers, and I am committed to ensuring their concerns are addressed,” he said.
The upgrade of more schools to Category A status is likely to ease competition in the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), which has faced growing criticism over inequities and delays.
Education analysts say the plan, if properly funded and implemented, could help decentralise access to quality education and reduce the overconcentration of resources and prestige in a handful of schools.
