The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called for an independent review of the country’s senior high school (SHS) placement system, citing persistent complaints over unfair placements, alleged payments for school slots and a lack of transparency in the process.
The Bishops said the computerised placement system, introduced to promote fairness, efficiency and equal access, must be subjected to independent technical scrutiny, with the major findings made public.
In a statement issued on Monday, September 14, 2026, and signed by the President of the Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani, the Church said families must be able to understand the factors determining where students are placed and have access to an effective appeals process.
The Conference noted that 604,567 candidates qualified for placement this year, while 527,932 had been placed when the results were released.
It acknowledged that placement outcomes would necessarily depend on factors including academic performance, programme choices, boarding or day preferences and available spaces.
However, it said the outcomes should be “understandable and demonstrably fair”, expressing concern over reports of students being placed in schools unsuitable for their sex, disability, personal circumstances or location.
The Bishops particularly raised concerns about students placed in day schools located so far from their homes that daily attendance could become unreasonable, expensive or unsafe.
They also called for students with disabilities to be placed in schools equipped to meet their specific needs and for genuine placement errors to be corrected promptly through accessible channels.
Alleged payments and ‘protocol’ admissions
The Conference expressed particular concern over allegations that parents were being asked to pay money to secure places for their children.
It stressed that if placement was intended to be free, no official, agent or intermediary should request or accept payment for securing a placement.
The Bishops called for such allegations to be investigated and said anyone found responsible should face disciplinary action and, where appropriate, criminal prosecution.
At the same time, they cautioned against allowing unproven allegations to damage the reputations of honest public servants.
The Conference also demanded clarity on the practice of so-called “protocol” admissions into sought-after schools.
It said where places were being reserved through discretionary arrangements, the public should be informed about the legal basis for such arrangements, the number of places involved, the criteria used and those responsible for administering them.
“No placement system can inspire confidence if parents believe that money, connections, or influence can secure places unavailable to more deserving but less privileged children,” the Bishops said.
Catholic Church demands 20% admissions allocation
The Conference also renewed its call for the implementation of a decision to reserve 20 per cent of admissions in Catholic mission schools for Catholic students.
It said the decision was taken at the National Catholic Education Forum in Koforidua in 2025 and therefore was not a new proposal.
According to the Bishops, many priests and bishops had reported that Catholic parents frequently sought assistance in securing places in Catholic schools but that such support was often impossible because the places contemplated under the decision were unavailable.
The Conference said the proposed allocation should not be regarded as a private privilege or patronage, but as a mechanism to enable Catholic mission schools to maintain a meaningful number of students who could participate in the religious and moral formation central to the schools’ mission.
It, however, stressed that any such arrangement must be administered transparently through the appropriate Boards of Governors and diocesan education offices, subjected to annual audits and strictly prohibited from involving payments.
The Bishops said the arrangement must not become a channel for corruption or favouritism.
The National Catholic Secretariat’s education office has consequently been instructed to prepare a plan “without delay” for implementing the decision across Catholic schools.
Call for Missions-State agreement
The Conference further called on the government and the Churches to conclude and sign the long-discussed agreement on the management of mission schools.
It said the agreement should clearly define responsibilities relating to admissions, governance, appointment of head teachers, religious and moral formation, discipline, infrastructure and accountability.
It should also, according to the Bishops, guarantee an appropriate role for the founding Churches in protecting the distinct religious identity of their schools.
The Conference argued that Catholic and other Christian mission schools were established long before the modern state assumed responsibility for universal education and had made significant contributions to Ghana’s educational, moral and social development.
While recognising the government’s responsibility to guarantee fair access to education, the Bishops said the founding Churches also had a legitimate interest in preserving the religious character, values, discipline and educational vision of their institutions.
Appeals system and investment in schools
The Bishops proposed a stronger and more accessible appeals mechanism, with clearly defined procedures and deadlines.
They said cases involving sex, disability, medical needs, serious distance-related difficulties and administrative errors should receive priority.
The government was also encouraged to consider appointing an independent official to resolve complaints that could not be settled through the ordinary placement process.
The Conference further called for periodic reviews of school categories, arguing that the existing structure should not become a permanent hierarchy that undermines public confidence in schools perceived to be at the lower end of the scale.
It urged the government to invest more in school infrastructure, teachers, laboratories and learning materials to ensure a more even distribution of educational quality and reduce pressure on a small number of highly sought-after schools.
The Bishops also called for timely and accurate information to be provided to parents about the placement system, their rights and the procedures for appealing decisions.
They urged government, the placement body, Churches, schools, parents and education experts to engage in regular consultation before major changes to the system were introduced.
‘Technology cannot replace human responsibility’
The Conference said Ghana needed a national placement system that provided every child with fair and efficient access to quality secondary education.
It acknowledged the potential of technology to promote justice and efficiency but cautioned that technology could not replace human responsibility or determine whether a placement outcome was educationally sound or morally right.
The Bishops therefore urged the government to review the placement system, conclude the Missions-State agreement, protect the identity of mission schools, ensure transparency in admissions, end improper protocol arrangements and strengthen the appeals process.
For its part, the Conference pledged to implement without delay its decision on Catholic admissions into mission schools.
“The goal must be a system in which merit, choice, fairness, and above all the good of the child determine who is admitted where,” the Bishops said.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
