The Ministry of Education has welcomed 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).

In a statement signed by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, on September 15, the Ministry said it recognised the need for "continuous improvement and strengthening of the system and announced plans to establish a Technical Working Committee after the conclusion of the current placement exercise to undertake a comprehensive review of the placement process".

The Ministry, while welcoming the call for a review, stressed that the CSSPS remains fundamentally a merit-based system, with merit taking precedence over protocol in the placement of qualified candidates.

“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,” the statement said.

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The ministry explained that the system is intended to ensure that placement decisions are guided by established criteria and that qualified students are treated fairly within the approved framework.

“The objective is to ensure that placement decisions are guided by established criteria and that every qualified student is treated fairly within the approved placement framework,” the ministry said.

According to the Ministry, the review will also focus on strengthening transparency and accountability while developing recommendations to improve the credibility, efficiency, and fairness of the CSSPS.

The Ministry also reiterated that placement through the CSSPS is free, warning parents and candidates against paying money to secure placements or have existing placements changed.

It urged parents and guardians who have credible evidence of demands for money in connection with school placement to report such cases to the appropriate law enforcement bodies for investigation.

“Any parent or guardian who has credible evidence that an official of the Ministry, the Ghana Education Service, Computerised School Selection Placement System secretariat, Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training, or any third party is demanding money in connection with school placement is encouraged to report the matter to the appropriate law enforcement bodies for investigation, and his or her identity will be protected,” the statement said.

The ministry said the planned review formed part of its commitment to improving the placement process while protecting the integrity of the CSSPS.

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the integrity of the CSSPS, stressing that merit, fairness and transparency would continue to guide the placement process.

“The Ministry remains committed to protecting the integrity of the CSSPS and ensuring that merit, fairness, and transparency remain at the heart of the placement process,” it said.