The government is set to upgrade 20 Category B Senior High Schools to Category A status and construct 10 new model Category A schools as part of efforts to expand opportunities for students and reduce pressure on Ghana’s most sought-after senior high schools.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu announced the plan as government seeks to address the growing imbalance between demand for Category A schools and the number of available places.
The announcement comes shortly after the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) exercise, which exposed significant pressure on available spaces in some of the country’s most popular schools.
Ghana to Upgrade 20 SHSs to Category A and Build 10 New Schools [MORE DETAILS]
30 Schools Targeted for Category A Expansion
Under the new plan, 20 existing Category B schools will be upgraded to Category A, while 10 new model Category A schools will also be constructed.
According to the Education Minister, the move is designed to create additional opportunities for students who aspire to attend the country’s top-performing senior high schools.
The expansion will also increase the number of schools capable of accommodating students seeking Category A placement, potentially easing some of the intense competition experienced during the placement process.
The government says the programme is supported by a US$300 million World Bank facility under the STARR-J initiative, which is being used to expand infrastructure within Ghana’s second-cycle education system.
GH¢250m–GH¢300m infrastructure allocation
The Education Minister also disclosed that he has directed the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to dedicate between GH¢250 million and GH¢300 million from its 2027 funding formula towards expanding facilities in 10 Category A schools.
The planned investment is expected to support infrastructure expansion in schools facing significant pressure from increasing enrolment.
The announcement follows growing calls for government to increase capacity in senior high schools, particularly after the latest placement exercise highlighted the limited number of vacancies available in highly demanded Category A institutions.
2026 Placement Exposes Demand for Category A Schools
The scale of the challenge became clear during the 2026 CSSPS exercise.
The Education Minister said about 328,000 students selected Category A schools, while only around 76,000 vacancies were available.
That significant gap created intense competition for places and left many qualified students unable to secure their preferred schools automatically.
The planned expansion is therefore intended not only to create more physical infrastructure but also to provide additional choices for families and students during future placement exercises.
16 New SHSs Also Under Construction
The Category A expansion forms part of a wider government programme to increase capacity across Ghana’s secondary education system.
President John Dramani Mahama separately announced that government is constructing 16 new Senior High Schools under a programme supported by the newly approved US$300 million World Bank facility.
According to the President, the new schools are intended to reduce overcrowding in existing institutions and help government gradually bring an end to the double-track system.
Government also plans to convert selected rural senior high schools with large catchment areas into boarding institutions.
President Mahama explained that students in some rural communities travel considerable distances to attend school, making boarding facilities more appropriate in areas where communities are widely dispersed.
What the expansion could mean for students
If implemented as announced, the expansion could significantly increase the number of spaces available in Ghana’s senior high school system.
For parents and students, more Category A schools and expanded infrastructure could mean greater opportunities to secure preferred placements while reducing some of the congestion that has affected schools operating under the double-track system.
The government’s challenge will be ensuring that construction, upgrades and staffing keep pace with the increasing demand for secondary education.
Key details at a glance: Ghana to Upgrade 20 SHSs to Category A and Build 10 New Schools
- 20 Category B SHSs to be upgraded to Category A
- 10 new model Category A schools planned
- 16 new SHSs also under construction
- US$300 million World Bank facility supporting infrastructure expansion
- GH¢250m–GH¢300m proposed for facilities in 10 Category A schools
- About 328,000 students selected Category A schools in the 2026 placement exercise
- Only about 76,000 Category A vacancies were available
A major test for Ghana’s Free SHS expansion
The infrastructure programme represents one of the government’s biggest attempts to address the capacity challenges that have emerged alongside increased demand for senior high school education.
As more students seek admission to high-performing schools, increasing classroom space, boarding facilities and other infrastructure will be crucial to ensuring that access to Free SHS is matched by adequate capacity.
For parents preparing for future placement exercises, the expansion could eventually mean more options and less intense competition for the limited spaces currently available in Category A schools.
If the projects are completed as planned, Ghana’s secondary education system could have significantly more capacity to accommodate students and gradually reduce dependence on the double-track arrangement.
More: MyJoyOnline report on the Category A expansion
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