The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dismissed concerns over a shortage of spaces in senior high schools, saying there are about 800,000 available slots for slightly more than 600,000 students seeking admission.

Head of Public Relations at the GES, Daniel Fenyi, said the difficulties being experienced by some parents and students under the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) are not the result of inadequate space in schools.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, Mr Fenyi said the number of students automatically placed this year had increased significantly.

According to him, approximately 527,000 students were automatically placed in 2026, compared with 483,000 in 2025 and 447,000 in 2024.

He explained that the number of students relying on self-placement had also declined considerably, from about 107,000 in 2025 to 53,000 as of September 10, while registration was still ongoing.

Mr Fenyi said automatic placement accounted for about 87% of placements, with the remaining 13% going through the self-placement process. He added that when both channels are combined, between 93% and 95% of students had secured placements.

He therefore rejected claims that the country was experiencing a nationwide crisis with the SHS placement system.

Mr Fenyi said the GES had established 17 resolution centres across the country to deal with cases involving technical difficulties, human errors, shortfalls and other challenges encountered during the placement process.

He acknowledged that some centres in Accra and the Ashanti Region had experienced heavy crowds, but cautioned against using the situation in those areas to describe the entire country.

“Accra is not Ghana,” he stressed.

According to him, 15 of the 17 resolution centres were operating efficiently, indicating that the challenges being experienced at the remaining centres should not be interpreted as evidence of a nationwide placement crisis.

By Esther Padmore Amonoo