Dr Ekua Amoakoh, spokesperson for New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer for 2028, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of worsening Ghana’s education system, particularly the challenges surrounding the Senior High School (SHS) placement process.

She argued that the NDC inherited a system in which measures had already been introduced to expand educational infrastructure and ease pressure on popular senior high schools but had failed to build on those interventions since assuming office.

Speaking on JoyNews AM on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, Dr Amoakoh said the government’s performance in education could not be compared favourably with that of the previous administration.

“You inherited a system that you've made worse, actually. You are performing absolutely worse,” she indicated.

Dr Amoakoh said the previous administration had deliberately invested in new infrastructure to create additional spaces for students, citing the establishment of 10 STEM secondary schools as part of efforts to reduce pressure on highly sought-after schools.

She also pointed to investments in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), arguing that the expansion of alternative educational pathways was necessary to accommodate students with different abilities and interests.

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According to her, the previous administration recorded a 94 percent placement rate in 2024, and she questioned what new interventions the NDC government had introduced to improve the system.

“Except your target is mediocrity, you have done nothing. I challenge you, Ama Pratt, to tell me any new thing you’ve built or added to improve our education,” Dr Amoakoh said.

She further criticised the government for what she described as a failure to address the underlying pressure on the education system, insisting that expanding infrastructure and creating more opportunities were necessary to prevent recurring placement difficulties.

“It was easier for the NDC to complain in opposition, especially about matters of education, than for them to, now that they have the responsibility to actually execute,” she added.

Dr Amoakoh therefore challenged the government to account for its interventions in the education sector over the past two years and demonstrate how those measures had improved outcomes for students and reduced pressure on the placement system.

Her comments come amid concerns over the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), under which 527,932 out of 604,567 qualified candidates had secured placement, representing 87.3 percent. A total of 76,635 qualified candidates were not automatically placed, largely due to the high demand for Category A schools.

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