The Ghana Education Service (GES) has extended the deadline for the 2025 school selection process to Wednesday, June 25, 2025, to give final-year Junior High School (JHS) students more time to complete their choices following the inclusion of private Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the selection system.
The move comes on the back of a major policy shift by government to include private SHSs in the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, a decision aimed at improving access to secondary education and reducing overcrowding in public schools.
In a circular issued on Thursday, June 13, GES directed all Regional Directors of Education to ensure the new deadline is communicated to Metro, Municipal, and District Directors, and by extension to all JHS final-year students through their school heads.
“This extension has become necessary due to the inclusion of private Senior High Schools in the selection process, allowing candidates additional time to make well-informed choices,” the statement explained.
GES urged students to consult with teachers, parents, and guardians before finalising their selections. It also assured that all existing guidelines and procedures remain unchanged, except for the updated school list that now features selected private SHSs.
A supplementary register containing the newly added private SHSs has been attached to aid students in their selection process.
The inclusion of private schools in the Free SHS policy marks a major development in Ghana’s education landscape and is expected to significantly ease infrastructure pressure on public schools while offering students more options.