The Institute for Education Studies, IFEST-Ghana, is demanding an urgent intervention from the Ministry of Education for about 55,000 BECE candidates who were not placed in any Senior High School or Technical and Vocational Education and Training institution.

The education policy think tank says the affected students risk being pushed out of the formal education system if the government fails to provide a clear and structured pathway for them to continue their education.

IFEST-Ghana says the Ministry of Education must urgently clarify what arrangements are being made for the candidates, stressing that leaving thousands of young people without an opportunity to progress would undermine efforts to expand access to secondary education.

The Institute has proposed three possible options for dealing with the situation.

The first is for government to admit the affected candidates into SHS or TVET institutions under targeted intervention programmes designed to improve their literacy and numeracy skills.

According to IFEST, such an arrangement would enable the students to remain within the education system while receiving additional academic support to address their learning deficiencies.

The second option is for the students to return temporarily to the basic-school level under a structured remedial programme, where they would receive intensive preparation to enable them to retake the BECE either as private candidates or during the next main examination.

IFEST, however, says the third option—leaving the students without any intervention—must not be allowed.

The Institute argues that such an approach would leave thousands of young people without a realistic route back into education, contrary to the principle of ensuring that no learner is left behind.

It is therefore urging the Ministry of Education and the relevant agencies to announce a clear, coordinated and time-bound framework for supporting the affected candidates.

IFEST-Ghana says the continued lack of clarity over the next steps for the students is worrying, insisting that every learner must be given a viable opportunity to continue their education.