The Conference of Heads of Private Second -Cycle Schools (CHOPSS) says private second-cycle schools across the country are ready to admit the 54,985 candidates who failed to secure placement into public Senior High Schools (SHSs) under the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
This was contained in a statement issued by Naphtali A. Kyei-Baffour, Head of Communications at CHOPSS.
The Conference of Heads of Private Second-Cycle Schools (CHOPSS), in a statement issued on September 3, 2026, said the affected candidates should not view their inability to obtain placement in a public SHS as the end of their educational journey.
According to CHOPSS, its accredited member schools have the capacity, experience and commitment to absorb the candidates and provide them with quality second-cycle education while helping them pursue their academic aspirations.
The organisation has consequently urged its member schools to consider offeringdiscounted and affordable fees to the affected candidates, where possible, to enable more families to access private second-cycle education.
CHOPSS said private second-cycle schools had historically served as an important alternative for students who failed to meet the cut-off points for admission into public SHSs before the introduction of the Free Senior High School policy in 2017.
It noted that many students who were previously admitted to private second-cycle schools after falling outside the cut-off points were given the necessary academic support, training and guidance to improve their performance and develop the confidence and skills required to compete with their counterparts in public schools.
The Conference said a significant number of such students subsequently gained admission to tertiary institutions in Ghana and abroad and had gone on to make meaningful contributions to the development of the country in both the public and private sectors.
CHOPSS acknowledged that the introduction of the Free SHS policy had had diverse effects on private second-cycle schools but maintained that private institutions remained an important component of Ghana’s second-cycle education system.
It therefore called on parents and guardians of the affected candidates to remain hopeful and explore available opportunities within the private second-cycle sector.
Parents and guardians, it said, should identify and contact accredited CHOPSS member schools within their respective catchment areas to enquire about admission opportunities, programmes offered and applicable fees.
The organisation further indicated that its Secretariat was available to provide information on accredited private second-cycle schools and assist parents in identifying institutions within their respective areas.
CHOPSS expressed confidence that through the collective commitment of private schools, parents, guardians and other stakeholders, the current placement challenge could be transformed into an opportunity for the affected candidates to begin a new chapter in their education.
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