The National Placement Resolution Centre, established to address challenges with the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), is facing calls for its collapse. One of the individuals calling for its closure is the Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), Obengfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, September 27, Nana Kwasi Gyetuah noted that the Centre is under pressure due to an overwhelming number of school placement complaints, which it struggles to resolve because it lacks direct contact with issues at the district level.

Thus, he called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to fully transfer the responsibilities of the National Centres to the Regional Centres, as they are closer to the ground. He clarified that the delays in resolving issues at the regional level are not due to a lack of capacity but to inadequate resources, which prevent them from fully meeting their obligations.

“We understand the regional resolution centres, but they are not giving the appropriate solutions to the issues. We have given priority to the national centre. If the national centre does not exist, everybody will go to their nearby centre.

“We should collapse the national centre, because the GES offices are already there; the problem is not beyond the regional offices. It’s just that we have not distributed fairly the resources to the regions and districts to empower them to do what they’re supposed to do.

“When you go to the national centres, I have been there; those over there don’t have superior knowledge to the people at the district level. In terms of experience, and those who even understand the terrain very well, the district education officers understand it better than those at the national level. Because they live with the people,” he added.

Every District and Regional Education Office have been designated by the Ghana Education Service to assist students, parents, and guardians with Senior High School (SHS) placement challenges.

However, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Accra has come under strain after a recent incident on Tuesday, September 23. Parents and prospective Senior High School students thronged the GNAT Hall over misplaced placements to difficulties in accessing schools of choice.

Others also raised concerns about being assigned to schools far from their preferred locations despite meeting the required grades. On September 19, the Deputy Education Minister, Dr. Clement Apaak, called for calm following reports of technical glitches in the placement process.

During a visit to the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Accra on Friday, September 19, the minister stated that the issue is being resolved and assured parents and students that all Senior High School placements would be finalised soon.

He explained that the current challenge was anticipated and that measures have been put in place to address it promptly. “It’s a process. It has not ended. Be patient and be reassured that we anticipated a number of challenges, and that is why we decided to set a reporting date that gives you enough time and gives us enough time to address all the issues.

“So be assured that by the time our wards are expected to report, which is around this same time next month, October 18, many of these issues, if not all, will be resolved,” he added.

Despite the tension, the Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of Ghana’s school placement system.On Wednesday, September 17, the Ghana Education Service (GES) opened the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) portal to allow prospective Senior High School (SHS) students to access their designated schools.

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 entrant 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.

In August, the Deputy Education Minister, Dr Clement Apaak, emphasized that multiple factors influence how students are assigned to specific Senior High Schools (SHSs).

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 (CSSPS) 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.

The Ministry’s clarification was a rebuttal to recent claims that the Ministry solely depends on a rigid score system to place students in Senior High Schools. Meanwhile, the Ministry has described the claims as misleading and inaccurate.