The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced a series of reforms to Ghana’s school placement system aimed at improving transparency, fairness, and stakeholder participation.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, April 1, the Minister revealed that under the revised Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), candidates will now be given a one-week window after the release of their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results to confirm or adjust their school choices based on their performance.
“In the past, students selected schools without knowing their aggregate level, and that affected the placement system. This time, we will give a mandatory period of one week after results have been declared for students to confirm on the basis of their performance in the BECE what their first choices are,” he stated.
The reforms also introduce a new role for alumni associations in the placement process. According to the Minister, a dedicated percentage of placements will be allocated to alumni to support the development and sustainability of schools.
“Government also recognizes that alumni play a significant role today in the survival and transformation of schools across the country. Accordingly, a dedicated percentage will be given to alumni for the purpose of placement in the revised CSSPS program,” he said.
However, Hon. Iddrisu cautioned against potential abuse of the system, drawing parallels with the widely criticized protocol placement practice.
“I pray this will not be abused like the protocol system. I am aware that last year we got protocol requests as many as 60,000. Anybody in my shoes will struggle to honour those requests,” he noted.
To ensure accountability, the Minister disclosed that a supervisory structure will be established to oversee the implementation of the reforms.
