Stakeholders Urge Ministry of Education to Abolish 30% Quota in SHS Placement
Education sector stakeholders have called on the Ministry of Education to abolish the 30% quota system in Senior High School (SHS) placements, which they argue discriminates against private basic school students.
The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) and the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) have described the system as unfair and a violation of the principle of equal opportunity.
During a press briefing in Accra, leaders of GNAPS, GNACOPS, and the Independent Schools and Teachers Council-Ghana voiced their concerns about the policy. The quota system reserves 30% of admission slots in Category “A” public SHSs exclusively for students from public basic schools, leaving the remaining 70% to be shared between public and private school graduates.
Concerns Over Discrimination
Professor Damasus Tuurosong, President of GNAPS, described the system as unjust, stating it disregards the significant contributions of private schools to Ghana’s education system. He noted that the policy is based on the flawed assumption that private schools are better resourced than public schools, overlooking the existence of low-fee private schools in underserved and remote areas where state schools are unavailable.
“This undermines the values of fairness and equal access that are fundamental to inclusive education. Every Ghanaian child, regardless of whether they attended a public or private school, deserves an equal chance of accessing public SHSs,” Prof. Tuurosong said.
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While the policy aims to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds in public schools, stakeholders argue it inadvertently penalizes private school students, many of whom also come from marginalized communities.
Call for Reform
Prof. Tuurosong urged the Ministry to prioritize merit-based placement to ensure fairness for all students. He also recommended bridging the perceived resource gap between public and private schools by providing adequate resources and enforcing effective monitoring and supervision, rather than relying on a discriminatory quota system.
“We recommend that adequate resources with effective monitoring and supervision be pursued by the Ministry of Education and the GES to bridge the perceived resource gap between public and private schools rather than the discriminatory approach,” he emphasized.
Legal Action Looms
The two associations have petitioned the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) over the matter. They have also indicated their readiness to take further legal action if the Ministry fails to address the concerns and abolish the quota system.
This development intensifies the ongoing debate about equitable access to quality education in Ghana, as stakeholders continue to advocate for reforms to ensure inclusivity and fairness for all students.
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