The Ministry of Education has dismissed reports suggesting that the Minister for Education, Alhaji Haruna Iddrisu, is rolling out plans to downgrade Category A Senior High Schools to Category B.

In a press statement, the Ministry clarified that the reports were a misrepresentation of the Minister's remarks during a recent press engagement on the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) school placement exercise.

The Ministry explained that the government intends to upgrade ten Category B schools to Category A status and ten Category C schools to Category B status as part of ongoing education reforms aimed at promoting fairness and equal access to quality secondary education.

The Minister highlighted the challenges of filling 76,000 vacancies in Category A schools with over 393,000 qualified applicants, describing it as "a near impossibility."

He noted that the intense pressure on Category A schools reflects their reputation for academic excellence, which continues to attract high demand from parents and guardians.

The Ministry urged the public and media houses to verify information before publication, particularly on sensitive issues concerning education policy and national development.

Accurate reporting is essential to maintaining public trust in the education system.

The Ministry's statement reaffirmed the government's commitment to promoting fairness and equal access to quality education, while also addressing the challenges of school placement and infrastructure expansion.