The directive forms part of raft of mea­sures deployed by the government to ease pressure on the Category A schools and to give a fair chance to each student to be en­rolled in such schools.

Speaking at a media briefing in Accra yes­terday, the Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Apaak, said candidates who would be writing their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) this year were expect­ed to select at most one Category A school, two Category B schools and three category C schools as part of their school preference list during the selection process.

According to the Minister however, a candidate could select five preferred schools of choice from category C schools, adding that “For TVET and STEM aspirants, specific streams and institutions must be selected accordingly.”

He noted that selection forms had been distributed to parents and guardians through the head teachers of the respective Junior High Schools (SHS) nationwide.

He urged parents to actively participate in the process and consult school authorities for guidance where necessary, however, he warned against heads of schools selecting schools for students.

“No head of school or teacher is permitted to complete the school selection form on behalf of any candidate without the explicit consent of the parent or guardian. Parents and guardians are urged to take the school selection process seriously, as it plays a pivotal role in shaping the educational journey of their children. The completed forms must be signed by the parent or guardian and returned to the head teacher. Parents are advised to keep a copy of the form for their records,” he added.

On her part, the National Coordinator for the FSHS Secretariat, Mrs Benita Sena Okity-Duah, stated that teams from GES, the Ghana TVET Service, and the Free SHS Secretariat had been deployed across regions to educate students, parents, and guardians on the updated selection process.

“Under the new guidelines, candidates are required to choose a total of seven schools: five main and two alternatives. These must be carefully ranked in order of preference with the approval of parents and guardians, and selections must follow strict rules regarding categories,” she added.

Mrs Okity-Dua emphasised the importance of parental involvement, warning that candi­dates who would be placed in a school based on their choices will not be allowed to change schools afterward.

She advised that, to minimise placement issues, parents and guardians are also advised to keep copies of completed school selection forms and ensure they are duly signed and submitted to school authorities.

The exercise is expected to allow prospec­tive BECE candidates to choose their pre­ferred second-cycle institutions ahead of the release of their BECE examination results.

Meanwhile, the government has announced plans to expand Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy to cover private schools begin­ning next academic year.

Dr Clement Appak, explained that the in­clusion of private schools in the FSHS policy was aimed at increasing capacity and gradually phasing out the double-track system.

“As part of our campaign promise, we have been working diligently to bring on board private senior high schools in the delivery of the Free SHS programme.

He said meetings and some engagements had been held with the private schools and they had expressed eagerness to participate.

“We believe strongly that in fulfilling this manifesto campaign promise, this is going to serve as an artery in helping us bring an end to the double-track system,” he added.