Gov’t reviews school placement system
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that the government is reviewing the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) to make it fairer and more efficient.
The Minister made this known during a visit to the Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC), Legon, on Monday, October 20, where he inspected facilities and assessed the school’s admission procedures.
Mr Iddrisu expressed concern over reports that some students were not offered their preferred programmes or were denied school choices despite achieving excellent grades.
“I have observed that some parents are unhappy, and justifiably so. Some students are also unhappy because they chose a particular course, such as Science, but were given General Arts or Business instead. That would be a disincentive for that child to study hard and give his best,” he said.
Mr noted that the current placement system is not functioning as expected.
“It means that the computerised placement system is not working well for the country, and I’m happy to review it, and I will review it.
“I’ll put in place a committee to review its performance over the decade and then give me a credible alternative. What we need is meritorious admission. Nobody would accept that you get an Aggregate 6 and still cannot get your first-choice school. That’s unfair, and we’ll look very closely into that,” he stated.
The Minister also used the visit to highlight the broader challenges facing the implementation of Free Senior High School education in Ghana.
“My understanding, as I’ve gone around this morning, is that we need to manage the crisis in providing quality Free Senior High School education in Ghana. To manage it will require deliberate, sustainable investment in education, expanded classrooms, laboratories, and dormitories for learners,” he added.
