Education Ministry to Review CSSPS After Current Placement Exercise

The Ministry of Education will undertake a comprehensive review of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) after the current placement exercise to strengthen transparency, accountability, and fairness in placing students in second-cycle institutions.

The Ministry said a Technical Working Committee would carry out the review to examine the system’s components, identify areas for improvement, and make recommendations to ensure the CSSPS remains credible, efficient, and responsive to the needs of students, parents, and schools.

The move follows a call by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference for greater transparency and accountability in operating the placement system, as well as an eventual review of the CSSPS.

In response, the Ministry welcomed the call, stressing that the CSSPS was fundamentally a merit-based system in which merit takes precedence over protocol in the placement of qualified candidates.

It said placement decisions were guided by established criteria designed to ensure that every qualified student was treated fairly within the approved placement framework.

While defending the principles underpinning the current system, the Ministry acknowledged the need for continuous improvement, saying the planned review would help strengthen confidence in the placement process.

The committee is expected to look at the system’s existing processes, improve transparency and accountability, and propose measures to address identified gaps.

The Ministry also reiterated that CSSPS placement is free, and warned parents and candidates against paying money to secure a school placement or have an existing placement changed.

It urged parents and guardians who have credible evidence of officials of the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, the CSSPS Secretariat, Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), or any third party demanding money in connection with school placement to report such cases to the appropriate law enforcement authorities for investigation.

The Ministry assured that the identity of persons who provide such information would be protected.

It reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the CSSPS and ensuring that merit, fairness and transparency remain central to the placement process.

 Grace Acheampong, ISD