Education Minister Iddrisu promises smooth SHS reopening, on placement and school meals

Pinned summary · as of 16:37

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has given parents and students a series of assurances as Senior High Schools reopen for the new academic year. He spoke first about the school placement system in Accra and later about food supplies during a visit to Tarkwa Senior High School.

What we know

• Haruna Iddrisu, the Education Minister, made public pledges tied to the reopening of Senior High Schools, covering both student placement and the feeding of students, according to Onua Online and Rainbow Radio Online.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Onua Online reported that Mr Iddrisu toured the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) centre in Accra on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, and said the government was acting to fix problems with the system before schools reopened. This account has not been repeated by other reports.
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  According to Onua Online, the minister said he would ask the Ghana Education Service to push back the reopening date if problems remained unresolved by Friday, 18 September 2026. No other report has confirmed this.
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  Mr Iddrisu put the number of students placed through the computerised system at more than 500,000 so far, Onua Online reported. The figure comes from him alone and has not been independently confirmed.
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  Onua Online reported that the minister conceded the placement process had run into difficulties, expressed confidence of a fix, and urged parents to remain patient. He also said no qualified student who wants a place would be turned away from secondary education. These are his own assurances and are unverified.
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  Rainbow Radio Online reported that Mr Iddrisu told students at Tarkwa Senior High School that enough food had been secured to avoid shortages this term. He said the government had provided adequately for their meals. This claim has not been confirmed by other reports.
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  Rainbow Radio Online also reported that the minister acknowledged public worry over the quantity and quality of meals in second-cycle schools, and said President John Dramani Mahama had ordered a full review of the Free SHS feeding model. The review has not been confirmed elsewhere.
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  Rainbow Radio Online described the Tarkwa visit as one stop on a countrywide round of ministry inspections of reopening schools, and said the ministry has worked with school heads and management teams to secure a smooth start. No other report has confirmed this.

Why it matters for Ghana

Thousands of families across Ghana depend on the placement system to learn where their children will board or study, and delays can leave students at home when others have already resumed. Meals are a daily concern for boarding students and parents under the Free SHS policy, so promises on food supply and a review of the feeding model will be judged by what reaches dining halls in places such as Tarkwa and Accra.