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.
he 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.
The Minister expressed concern over reports that some students were not offered their preferred programmes or were denied school choices despite having excellent grades.
“I have observed that some parents are unhappy, justified. Some students are unhappy, justified, because they chose a particular course, Science, and was given General Arts or Business. That would be a disincentive even for that child to study hard and do his best.”
He stated 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,” he said.
“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 you can’t get the spot of your first choice. That’s unfair, and we’ll look very closely into that.”
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, we need to manage the crisis in the provision of quality Free Senior High School in Ghana. To manage it will mean deliberate, sustainable investment in education, expanded classrooms, expanded laboratories, expanded dormitories for the learners.”
While acknowledging the government’s role, Mr Iddrisu also commended the contributions of alumni and religious institutions in supporting educational development.
“What I’ve also particularly noticed is the role of old boys, old students, in supporting the state. I recognise a strong bond, a relationship between the church and the state in providing quality education. And for our purposes today, the Presbyterian Church, I want to salute them and pay tribute to them.”
Mr Iddrisu praised PRESEC for its long-standing record of excellence.
“From Odumase now to Accra, Presec have trained many young people, mentioning Okudzeto Ablakwa, Oko Boye, they are all proud students of this school,” he said.
On infrastructure, the Minister admitted that the school was struggling with inadequate facilities. “My assessment here is that classrooms are not adequate, dormitories not adequate, laboratories insufficient and not in good shape,” he said.
To address these challenges, he announced that government plans to upgrade schools across the country. “Government will deliberately, in the coming years, particularly into 2026, work to upgrade 10 Category C schools to B schools, and 10 Category B schools to A schools.
“Then I’ll pick a special 10, and Presec will be part of that special 10. We will give you the needed intervention by way of improved infrastructure in the classroom, laboratories and dormitories,” he added.
MyJoyOnline
