Hundreds of parents and their wards who sat for the 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) have thronged the GNAT Hall in Accra for placement.

The center was set up by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to help with both self-placement and replacement of students in available schools in all categories, excerpt category ‘A’ schools.

According to the GES, “Out of the 547,329 candidates who sat for the examination, 538,399 qualified for school placement. out of these, 372,780 candidates have automatically been placed into various schools.”

This leaves a total of “165,601 candidates who will have to do self-placement because they could not be matched to their school of choice.”

Speaking in an interview with JoyNews, the Deputy Coordinator for Free SHS, Nana Afrah Sika Mensah said “the exercise is going to run for six weeks.”

“We are doing the placement into secondary schools, TVET schools and the new STEM schools” she added.

According to one parent, Meshach Fred Mintah, her daughter who got aggregate 9 could not get placement into her first choice school, Holy Child SHS.

“She was rather offered her 4th choice Suhum SHS. She has worked hard so I want a better school for her to study General science.”

Meanwhile, another parent who got a boarding school for his child said, he wants a Day School for her instead.

Reacting to the activities of middlemen, Nana Afrah Mensah warned parents against dealing with such persons.

“The only accredited people you can approach are the people wearing tags. If you are a parent and anyone approach to take money from you and place you in any school, report them to us ” she warned.

The GES has also set up help centers in all 16 regional offices to assist with placement issues across the country.