The Ministry of Education has announced plans to establish a Technical Working Committee to review the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) after the conclusion of the current placement exercise.
The announcement follows calls by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference for greater transparency, accountability and an ultimate review of the system.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, and signed by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, the Ministry welcomed the Bishops’ Conference’s call, saying it recognised the need to strengthen the placement process.
“The Ministry of Education welcomes the call by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference for greater transparency, accountability and the ultimate review of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS),” the statement said.
The Ministry, however, maintained that the CSSPS is fundamentally a merit-based system, with merit taking precedence over protocol in the placement of qualified candidates.
It said the objective of the system was to ensure that placement decisions were guided by established criteria and that every qualified student was treated fairly within the approved placement framework.
“The Ministry wishes to emphasise that the CSSPS is fundamentally a merit-based system, with merit taking precedence over protocol in the placement of qualified candidates,” it stated.
According to the Ministry, the planned review will be comprehensive and will examine the various components of the placement process to identify areas requiring improvement.
The Technical Working Committee will also be tasked with strengthening transparency and accountability and making recommendations to ensure that the CSSPS remains credible, efficient, fair and responsive to the needs of students, parents and schools.
The Ministry’s announcement comes amid continuing public concerns about the fairness and transparency of the school placement process, particularly regarding the allocation of students to senior high schools and the role of protocol in placement decisions.
Reiterating its position on the issue, the Ministry said merit, fairness and transparency would remain at the heart of the CSSPS.
It also stressed that school placement is free and warned parents and candidates against paying money to secure placements or have existing placements changed.
“CSSPS placement is free. No parent or candidate is required to pay money to secure a placement or to have a placement changed,” the statement said.
The Ministry further urged parents and guardians with credible evidence of demands for money in connection with school placement to report such cases to the appropriate law enforcement bodies.
It said the reports could concern officials of the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, the CSSPS Secretariat, Ghana Technical Vocational Education and Training or any third party.
“Their identity will be protected,” the Ministry assured those who report such cases.
The Ministry said the planned review was part of its commitment to protecting the integrity of the placement system and ensuring that it continued to serve students, parents and schools fairly.
