Director General Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis assures stakeholders of merit-based, free placement process following release of BECE results
Story by, Paul Mensah Nsor
ACCRA, Ghana - The Ministry of Education has outlined a detailed roadmap for the 2025 school placement exercise, emphasizing unprecedented transparency and fairness measures following the release of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results on Saturday, August 23, 2025.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, Director General of Ministry of Education, congratulated all successful candidates while providing comprehensive details about the upcoming placement process that will determine the secondary school destinations for thousands of Ghanaian students.
Prof. Davis began his address by extending warm congratulations to all candidates who successfully passed the 2025 BECE examinations. "This is a significant milestone in your academic journey," he stated, acknowledging the hard work and dedication of students across the country.
However, the Director General also had words of encouragement for those who may not be placed in this exercise. "To those who might not be placed or who might not be part of the placement exercise for one reason or another, I wish to encourage them to work harder to ensure that they are considered for the next placement exercise," Prof. Davis said, emphasizing the importance of persistence in educational pursuits.
In a strong statement addressing concerns about fairness in the placement process, Prof. Davis provided multiple assurances to stakeholders. "I wish to assure all stakeholders, including candidates, parents and guardians, that the 2025 placement exercise will be carried out in a fair, transparent and merit-based manner," he emphasized, repeating this commitment to underscore its importance.
The Director General revealed that extensive preparation for the exercise has been underway since June, with comprehensive sensitization programs conducted across the nation. Resource persons from multiple key institutions - including the Ministry of Education Ghana, Ghana Education Service, Computerized Selection School Selection and Placement Secretariat, and the Free SHS Secretariat - have visited communities throughout the country to share placement guidelines with candidates, parents, and school authorities.
In a groundbreaking development for Ghana's education system, Prof. Davis announced the introduction of a unique online review system designed to significantly reduce errors commonly associated with school selection and placement processes.
"This year, we have introduced something unique in order to reduce some of the obvious errors associated with school selection or school placement," he explained. "Candidates will have the opportunity to review the entries they have made, such as gender, school codes, or program codes."
The innovative process will be conducted online at www.cssps.gov.gh and will be supported by comprehensive explainer videos to guide parents and guardians through the review process. This system allows candidates to verify their information before the actual placement occurs, potentially eliminating many of the errors that have historically plagued the placement exercise.
The online review period is scheduled to commence on September 1st and conclude on September 8th, providing candidates with a full week to carefully examine and confirm their entries.
Prof. Davis provided a comprehensive timeline for the entire placement process, ensuring all stakeholders understand the key dates and milestones:
The actual placement exercise will commence on September 17th, following the completion of the online review period. Students who receive placement are expected to report to their assigned campuses to commence their studies between October 18th and 20th, providing adequate time for preparation and transition.
On September 9th, the system will release detailed explainer videos specifically designed to help candidates understand how to check their placement results. The official publication of placement results will be made available online by September 17th, marking a crucial milestone in the academic calendar.
In one of the most emphatic statements of the briefing, Prof. Davis addressed the persistent issue of corruption in school placement with unprecedented clarity and firmness.
"I wish to put on record today that placement is free. School placement is free. It's totally free. It is not for sale," he declared emphatically. "Ministry of Education or GES is not linked to this illegal business."
The Director General issued a stern warning to anyone attempting to profit from the placement process: "Anybody who sells placement to a parent or guardian is therefore doing an illegal business, and such persons who approach you to sell placement should be reported to the law enforcement agencies to be apprehended."
This strong stance represents a significant effort by the Ghana Education Service to eliminate corruption and ensure that all qualified students have equal access to educational opportunities regardless of their families' financial circumstances.
To ensure smooth implementation of the placement exercise, Prof. Davis announced the activation of an extensive support infrastructure designed to assist candidates and parents throughout the process.
Call centers will be established across all regions with dedicated phone lines specifically designed to address issues that may arise after the placement exercise. In a strategic move to reduce congestion and improve efficiency, the GES is strongly discouraging gatherings at centralized locations.
Instead, district-level resolution centers will be established where challenges can be resolved more effectively and efficiently. These call centers and resolution centers are scheduled to become operational by September 18th, 2025, ensuring immediate support is available when placement results are released.
Prof. Davis explained the technical aspects of the placement process, revealing that with the BECE results now available, the Ghana Education Service has begun the complex process of data processing and analysis.
"Placement will be matched against vacancies in the second cycle institutions, and this process is expected to take no more than three weeks," he explained, providing stakeholders with realistic expectations about the timeline for completion.
This matching process represents a sophisticated system that considers multiple factors including student performance, school preferences, available spaces, and geographic considerations to ensure optimal placement outcomes.
As the briefing concluded, Prof. Davis reiterated the commitment to merit-based placement, stating: "Placement into senior high school, senior high technical schools and TVET schools in Ghana will be merit-based and delivered by a system built on fairness."
Recognizing the challenges posed by misinformation in the digital age, the Director General urged media and the general public to rely exclusively on official communication channels. These include the Ministry of Education Ghana, Ghana Education Service, Computerized School Selection and Placement Secretariat, and TVET Service.
"We shall continue to provide timely updates to prevent panic and speculation," Prof. Davis assured, emphasizing the importance of accurate information dissemination throughout the process.
Prof. Davis noted that the press briefing was originally scheduled to be conducted by the Honorable Minister for Education, who was unable to attend due to an equally important national assignment. The Minister sent his warmest felicitations to all candidates and stakeholders.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Davis expressed gratitude to all stakeholders for their attention and requested continued support to ensure a smooth placement exercise. "We count on the support of all stakeholders to ensure a smooth placement exercise this year," he concluded, before offering a blessing: "May God bless our educational system."
The 2025 school placement exercise represents a significant step forward in Ghana's educational system, with enhanced transparency measures, improved technology integration, and stronger anti-corruption mechanisms. The comprehensive approach outlined by Prof. Davis demonstrates the Ghana Education Service's commitment to ensuring that every qualified student receives fair consideration for secondary school placement based solely on merit and available opportunities.
As thousands of families across Ghana await the outcome of this crucial process, the detailed roadmap and assurances provided by the Ghana Education Service offer hope for a transparent, efficient, and equitable placement exercise that will shape the educational futures of Ghana's next generation of leaders.