The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) over concerns regarding discrimination in the country’s Senior High School (SHS) placement policy.
The petition challenges the government’s 30% priority placement policy, which reserves spots in Category “A” SHS for public school students, a measure GNAPS claims disadvantages students from private schools.
At a press conference in Accra, GNAPS President Prof. Damasus Tuurosong expressed his dissatisfaction with the policy, arguing it limits opportunities for private school students. He emphasized the importance of merit-based placement, where a student’s academic performance should be the key factor in SHS admissions, not the type of school they attend.
“This system is inherently discriminatory,” Prof. Tuurosong said. “The best-performing students should be allowed entry into the top SHS institutions in Ghana. We support a merit-based system where performance determines placement, not school type.”
He further noted that private school students are at a greater disadvantage compared to their public school counterparts, pointing to data that shows how private school students fare in comparison.
Despite years of dialogue with various education ministers, the association has not seen any progress. As a result, GNAPS has taken the legal route, filing the petition with CHRAJ and preparing to seek judicial intervention if necessary.
