About 400,000 Junior High School (JHS) graduates have been placed so far to enjoy the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has disclosed.

The figure, according him, to represents 94% of the 424,000 students who have qualified for placement.

Government rolled out the Free SHS at the beginning of this academic year amidst many complaints of students not getting placed.

But contrary to these concerns, the Vice President says this year’s placement is a far improvement on what happened last year.

Speaking at the Northern Regional launch of Free SHS in Tamale on Tuesday, he said “so far 94 percent of students have been placed. Last year, by this time last year, only 74 or 75 percent of pupils who had been qualified had actually been placed”.

“This is a major achievement”, Dr Bawumia stressed. Attributing the improvement in placement rates to the inability of parents to pay their wards’ fees last year, he reiterated government’s commitment to the programme an promised more funding next year.