The Headmaster of Mansoman Senior High School (SHS) in the Ashanti region, Rev. Nicholas Adu Berko, has called for an end to the categorisation of senior high schools, arguing that the practice influences parents to favour some institutions over others during the school placement process.

According to him, the perception that some schools are superior to others is contributing to the reluctance of parents to choose schools such as Mansoman SHS, despite having the facilities and teachers required to provide quality education.

“I am waiting for a day that we’ll not grade these schools again,” Rev. Adu Berko said.

He was speaking to the media at a resolution centre in Kumasi amid concerns over students changing their school placements after the release of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) results.

Placement changes affecting schools

Rev. Adu Berko said Mansoman SHS initially had more than 600 students placed on its CSSPS portal, but the number had begun to decline as some students and their parents sought to change their placements to schools they considered more desirable.

“When the placement came, I had almost about 600-plus students on my portal. But between yesterday and today, I have seen that the rate at which we are expecting students to come to the school to give them admissions is not going as it should,” he said.

He said he had received information that several students were visiting the resolution centre to change their placements.

“I have gotten information that most of them are here to change their schools to other schools,” he said.

The headmaster said the changes were also visible on the school's placement portal.

“When you see my portal, a student had an aggregate of 10, and his name is no longer on the portal, meaning the student has changed his or her school,” he explained.

‘Grade A schools’ versus ‘B and C’

Rev. Adu Berko criticised what he described as the tendency to favour highly regarded schools while neglecting institutions perceived as being in lower categories.

“I don’t know why parents are still struggling to go to the same Grade A schools while the B and C are neglected,” he said.

He argued that the categorisation of schools should not be allowed to create the impression that students in one institution have access to better teaching than those in another.

“Mansoman SHS has teachers who are equally good as those in Prempeh College to teach them. Because we are classmates,” he said.

He said the professional and academic capabilities of teachers should be considered rather than the reputation or location of the school where they teach.

“Because the teachers who are in Kumasi, their classmates are the ones in my school,” he said.

‘It doesn’t mean someone in Mansoman is not intelligent’

The headmaster also challenged the assumption that attending a highly regarded school automatically gives a student an advantage over those attending other institutions.

“I attended Opoku Ware School. I am the headmaster of Mansoman SHS. It doesn’t mean that someone in Mansoman is not intelligent, no,” he said.

He maintained that students should be given opportunities to succeed regardless of the school they attend.

“When we say we’re giving everybody equal opportunities, wherever you are, you should be able to learn,” he said.

Mansoman has capacity for more students

Rev. Adu Berko said the reluctance to choose Mansoman SHS was particularly concerning because the school had the facilities and capacity to accommodate significantly more students.

“I have a lot of space that can take close to about 800 to 900 students in my school. I have seats, dormitory spaces, beds; I have almost everything that can accommodate students,” he said.

He said some parents had cited poor road conditions as one of the reasons for seeking alternative placements, but noted that work was underway to improve the roads.

“But they don’t want my school because they will give reasons that the roads are not good, and they’re now fixing it,” he said.

Rev. Adu Berko therefore called for a placement system in which parents and students could make choices without being heavily influenced by school rankings or categories.

“Secondly, I am waiting for a day when you allow a child or a parent to choose a school for the child; these centres will not be needed,” he said.