Ghanaians have urged not to condemn the Computer Schools Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) introduced in 2005 to replace the manual selection of candidates into Senior High Schools The CSSPS was introduced as a result of outcry of parents and guardians about alleged malpractices in the selection system at the time. The Central Regional Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), Reverend Paa Solomon Grant-Essilfie in an interview with the GNA rather urged Ghanaians, especially those with expertise in Information Communication and Technology (ICT), to help improve the system which had to some extend removed some of the troubles Heads of schools went through during admissions. Although he conceded that the system was facing some teething problems, it did not warrant such condemnation from the population. Rev. Grant-Essilfie who is also the headmaster of Saltpond Methodist Senior High School (SHS), pointed out that the greatest problem facing the CSSPS was with the selection of programmes and schools by candidates. He said if parents monitor the performance of their children in school and at home, they would have been able to give the right advice as to what programme and school they should select. "Children feel excited to be associated with endowed schools without considering their ability to score needed marks to secure them a place", he noted. The Regional CHASS Chairman said contrary to the perception of some Ghanaians that the standard of education had fallen in the country, the CSSPS had help in the making higher grades by candidates. He said this year, the best candidates in General Arts selected for Saltpond Methodist SHS scored 413 marks whilst the last candidate got 337 as against 372 and 293 marks the top and the last candidates scored respectively last year. This, he said meant that candidates who selected Saltpond Methodist Senior High School as the first choice but scored marks from 336 and below were not selected. Rev. Grant-Essilfie further explained that a candidate who scores seven or above in any of the core subjects being English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies is not qualified for placement no matter how strong his or her total aggregate might be. This, he said, was the reason why a candidate who got aggregate 20 could be selected over the one who got about 11 but scored seven in a subject. Source: GNA