The Executive Director of GNACOPS, Obenefo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah has called for urgent reforms to Ghana’s Senior High School (SHS) placement system, arguing that students must not be denied schools that reflect their academic performance.
Speaking on the challenges surrounding the Computeried School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), with Kojo Preko Dankwa on Kessben TV’s Punch show, Nana Kwasi Gyetuah said the current situation is creating unnecessary pressure for students, parents and the education system.
He questioned why students should be prevented from securing schools they qualify for based on their results.
“Why then do you deny the student what merit them per their results?” he asked.
According to him, the essence of education is to enlighten people and help them overcome ignorance, stressing that educated people have a responsibility to lead others towards opportunities that can improve their lives.
Nana Kwasi Gyetuah further argued that Ghana currently lacks the requisite infrastructure to absorb and accommodate the growing number of students seeking placement into SHSs.
He believes this infrastructure deficit has contributed to what he described as an “artificial traffic” within the school placement system.
He also raised concerns about the timing of the school-selection process, noting that students formally choose their preferred schools before their examination results are released.
He questioned the rationale behind allowing students to select schools after knowing their final results, only for the placement process to later determine that some candidates did not meet the required aggregates for their chosen schools.
According to him, the situation becomes particularly problematic when students who would ordinarily qualify for certain schools based on their results are unable to secure them because of the placement process.
He argued that if the country could demystify the excessive hype surrounding so-called “category” or elite schools, many of the challenges associated with school placement could be reduced.
Nana Kwasi Gyetuah proposed that government should instead invest heavily in upgrading schools across the country.
He called for the development of standardized model schools in every district, equipped with modern facilities and qualified teachers, as part of efforts to address the persistent challenges confronting the CSSPS.
He maintained that improving infrastructure and educational standards across all districts would reduce the intense competition for a handful of schools and create more equitable opportunities for students nationwide.
“The solution is not simply to manage the traffic; we must expand the system and make quality education accessible everywhere,” his argument suggests.
By Maurice Otoo
