The Education Ministry has reinstated the practice of school selection before the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), with the 2025 exercise officially commencing today, Tuesday, May 27, and set to end on Friday, June 6, 2025.

The selection of schools before the BECE policy was abandoned in recent years, as candidates were tasked to select their school of preference after their BECE examination.

The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, announced the reversal as part of several reforms to improve school selection and placement during a briefing held at the Ministry of Education, urging parents and guardians to be involved in the school placement process, as head teachers and teachers have been barred from assisting candidates.

“Parents are encouraged to seek guidance from their child’s junior high school authorities when filling out the school selection forms. It is crucial that parents take an active interest in this process, as the choices made will determine the senior high school their wards attend after completing basic education.

“Importantly, no headteacher or teacher is permitted to complete the selection form on behalf of a student without the explicit consent of the parent or guardian. The form must be signed by the parent or guardian and submitted to the headteacher of the candidate’s junior high school,” he stated.

The Coordinator of the Free SHS (FSHS) Secretariat, Sena Okity-Duah, speaking on some of the reforms undertaken by the government, emphasized that the shift is intended to avoid confusion and ensure candidates and parents take full responsibility for the schools selected.

Under the new guidelines, candidates are required to select seven schools — five main choices and two alternatives. The five main schools must be selected in order of preference, with three being boarding options and two as day schools.

Students are not permitted to choose more than one Category A school or more than two from Category B, though they may select all five from Category C if necessary.

BECE is expected to commence on June 9 to 16, 2025.