In Ghana, Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) Executive Director Kofi Asare called on the government to permanently abolish the use of the F9 grade as a barrier to admission to senior high school. In his view, every Ghanaian child who has completed basic education should have the right to continue their studies regardless of their BECE examination results.
This was reported by MyJoyOnline. The statement was made during the ongoing 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System process. According to the publication, 55,000 candidates were not placed, mainly because they received grade 9 (F9) in the compulsory English Language or Mathematics course.
Enshrine the rule in education policy
Asare welcomed the government’s decision to allow students with an F9 grade to continue their education in senior high school. At the same time, he believes this approach should be formally enshrined in the Free SHS free senior high school education policy so that future governments cannot change the rule at their discretion.
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According to the Eduwatch head, completing basic school should be a sufficient condition for progressing to secondary education without setting a passing grade. He noted that Ghana should strive for a system in which no child is denied access to secondary education because of academic results at the basic level.
Unequal learning conditions
Asare also stated that denying admission because of low results would be unfair, as the state is responsible for ensuring proper teaching and learning conditions. According to him, students with an F9 grade disproportionately come from underserved areas, including Ghana’s five northern regions, as well as the Oti and Western North regions.
Among the possible factors behind weaker results, he cited a shortage of teachers, an insufficient number of textbooks, and a lack of basic furniture in some schools. In Asare’s view, the government should not deprive students of the opportunity to study under Free SHS until it ensures proper conditions in urban, peri-urban, and underserved areas.
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