The Ministry of Education has welcomed a call by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference for greater transparency, accountability and an eventual review of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), announcing plans to establish a Technical Working Committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the placement process once the current exercise concludes.
The Ministry emphasised that the CSSPS remains fundamentally a merit-based system, with merit taking precedence over any form of protocol or influence in the placement of qualified candidates.
According to the Ministry, the core objective of CSSPS is to ensure that placement decisions are guided strictly by established criteria, allowing every qualified student to be treated fairly within the approved placement framework, regardless of background or personal connections.
“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,”
Ministry of Education
While defending the underlying merit-based design of CSSPS, the Ministry acknowledged the need for continuous improvement and strengthening of the system in response to concerns raised by stakeholders, including the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
Technical Committee to Review System After Current Exercise
According to the statement, the Ministry will establish a Technical Working Committee following the conclusion of the current placement exercise, tasked specifically with undertaking a comprehensive review of the placement process from start to finish.
The Ministry outlined that the planned review would examine the various components making up the CSSPS, with the aim of identifying specific areas requiring improvement, strengthening transparency and accountability mechanisms within the system, and generating concrete recommendations.
“The review will examine the various components of the system, identify areas requiring improvement, strengthen transparency and accountability, and make recommendations to ensure that the CSSPS remains credible, efficient, fair and responsive to the needs of students, parents and schools,”
ministry of education
Placement Remains Free, Ministry Reiterates
Beyond addressing the structural review, the Ministry used the statement to reiterate that CSSPS placement remains entirely free, stressing that no parent or candidate is required to pay any money to secure a placement or to have an existing placement changed.
This reaffirmation comes amid continued public concern over reports of individuals demanding payment from parents and candidates under the guise of influencing placement outcomes, a practice the Ministry has previously and repeatedly cautioned against.
To reinforce this position, the Ministry encouraged any parent or guardian with credible evidence that an official of the Ministry, the Ghana Education Service, the CSSPS Secretariat, the Ghana Technical Vocational Education and Training Service, or any third party is demanding money in connection with school placement to report the matter to appropriate law enforcement bodies for investigation.
The Ministry assured that the identity of anyone reporting such cases would be fully protected, an assurance intended to encourage more affected individuals to come forward without fear of reprisal.
Commitment To Merit, Fairness and Transparency
In closing its statement, the Ministry reaffirmed its overall commitment to protecting the integrity of the CSSPS, stating clearly that merit, fairness and transparency remain central to how the placement process is designed and administered.
The Ministry’s response adds to a growing pattern of engagement between government and various stakeholders, including religious bodies, civil society organisations and education advocacy groups, over the design and administration of this year’s placement exercise.
With the Technical Working Committee expected to be established once the current placement cycle concludes, attention will likely turn to how quickly the review is completed, and whether its eventual recommendations address the specific structural concerns raised by stakeholders such as Eduwatch, GNACOPS, School for Life and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in recent weeks.
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