The government has intensified security measures and restricted access to the Computerized Schools Selection And Placement System (CSSPS) portal to prevent manipulation and ensure accountability.

This was announced by the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, while addressing journalists at a press briefing in Accra where he debunked false claims of bribery and manipulation in the school placement process.

“We’ve limited access to the portal, and it’s part of our management of it. Sitting here as a minister, I don’t have access to the portal. The deputy does not have access. The chief has no access. The director of GES does not have access. We’ve adopted this strategy so that we can hold each individual accountable,” he stated.

According to the sector minister, over three people who were spreading false claims of bribery and manipulation in the ongoing placement exercise have been arrested.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the individuals had no links to the placement process and could not provide any evidence to support their claims.

He added that the national security operatives got the intel to investigate the placement process when three individuals were earlier arrested over similar incidents.

“You know I’m not the police, so it’s the police who will give you that information. But what I can assure you is that there are even more than three. We have a very robust cybersecurity system, which is able to monitor and police fraudulent activities associated with the placement,” he stated.

“A few weeks back, we got national security to arrest three. They were interrogated. You recall when I said that, why would somebody with an aggregate of 37 be posted into a Category A school? That emanated from the earlier arrest,” he said.

Mr Iddrisu acknowledged that although the current system has its flaws, the Ministry is taking steps to resolve the challenges in future placement exercises.

“Those who expect that I would have done some magic this year, I’m sorry to disappoint you. I will work to fix it as a problem in the future,” he assured.

Meanwhile, the Education Minister also announced that Cabinet has approved the absorption and payment of salary arrears for 6,200 teachers who have been working for months without pay.

“A few weeks ago, myself and the Chief Director received a petition from some teachers who were unhappy with the government over their unending work for a number of months without pay,” he revealed.

“I’m happy to announce that Cabinet has given approval for the 6,200 teachers to be absorbed. We’ll begin the process in due course. They will have their IDs and back pay.”

He further disclosed that Cabinet has authorised the Ministry of Finance to vire about GH¢1.1 billion to cover payments for both health workers and teachers.

“Cabinet gave the Minister of Finance approval to vire about GH¢1.1 billion to absorb a category of health workers and teachers,” he said. “The process will start soon, so there’s no need for further picketing.”

As per a circular dated Wednesday, September 17, signed by the acting Deputy Director-General for Quality and Access at the GES, Dr Munawaru Isshaque and addressed to all regional directors, freshers will report to their designated schools from October 18.

The statement warned school authorities against enrolling students against the placement list generated by the CSSPS Secretariat, stressing the need for transparency and impartiality during the registration process.

“Admission of students should strictly follow the placement list generated by the CSSPS Secretariat. No school is permitted to admit students outside the official placement without prior written approval from GES,” parts of the circular read.

483,800 have been placed into various Senior High Schools across the country out of the 590,000 candidates.

On Monday September 1, the school placement portal was opened for new entrants students to verify their school choices, biodata, and other relevant information ahead of the final placement. The deadline for the fact-checking exercise was brought to a close on Monday, September 8.

Of this figure,248,038 are females (51.4%), and 234,783 are males (48.6%). However, 107,509 candidates (18.2%) could not be matched with their initial school choices due to high demand for certain Category A schools.

There have been recent speculations that the Education Ministry solely depends on a rigid score system to place students in Senior High Schools. But the Ministry has described the claims as misleading and inaccurate. Deputy Education Minister, Dr Clement Apaak, has emphasized that multiple factors influence how students are assigned to specific Senior High Schools.

According to an official statement signed and issued by the Deputy Education Minister on Saturday August 30, the Ministry noted that the Computerised School Selection and Placement System used in designating SHS graduates to various schools considers the aggregate and raw scores of students, the availability of vacancies in schools, and the popularity of specific programmes.

The statement added that the Ministry does not demand or accept rewards from parents or guardians to guarantee that students are placed in schools of their choice as speculated.

“The Ministry confirms that this information is not only false but also maliciously misleading. The placement is based on a combination of factors, including aggregate and raw scores, availability of vacancies in the various schools and programmes of study. Limited vacancies and high competition can affect placement. The Ministry unequivocally states that no form of payment or inducement is required or solicited from parents, guardians, or their representatives for the purpose of securing placement.

“All interactions with the Ministry and Ghana Education Service (GES) officials are expected to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and transparency. The public is advised to be cautious and report any cases of extortion or bribery attempts related to student placements. Stakeholders are encouraged to report miscreants to the nearest police station," parts of the statement read.