The Executive Director of the Institute of Education Studies (IFEST), Dr Peter Anti has called for the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) to be overhauled.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, he stated that the school placement system has been in place for over 15 years since its implementation.

According to him, since the programme's inception, “I am not aware of any comprehensive evaluation that has been done with respect to this policy. In terms of its operationalisation.”

https://youtu.be/mrgFk5NbZVE

“The object of this system was to improve on the manual system…to create transparency, fairness and quick delivery so the transparency and fairness bit of it has all been defeated. Now people need to pay before they can get what kind of school they want whether they deserve it or not.

“The objective of the School placement system has been defeated and therefore we need to overhaul it,” he insisted.

He however, recommended for a checking mechanism for monitoring or an advanced technological system to monitor the activities of handlers.

Dr Anti further suggested for the School Module System introduced by former President John Kufuor to be adopted in place of the school placement system.

https://youtu.be/cMIpj3ui2II

The CSSPS was introduced to eliminate corruption in the placement system, but some private individuals and government officials have connived to undermine the system.

The Fourth Estate documentary dubbed “School Placement for Sale” revealed the CSSPS for students to Senior High Schools has been corrupted in that it is no longer based on merit but requires the payment of enormous sums of money to warrant admission into desired schools category.

The investigative documentary was by Adwoa Adobea-Owusu and Evans Aziamor-Mensah of The Fourth Estate.

The Executive Director of the Institute of Education Studies said to put an end to this, at least one senior high school in every district need to be well-resourced.

This according to him, when done, will reduce the pressure for the demand in most category A schools which have become like a “cash-cow.”

“We need to go back and make sure that in every district, we have at least one secondary school that has got all the resources that students need so that at least we would be able to create some of the PRESEC, Mfantsiman Girls’, Wesley Girls, Mfantsipim in all of the districts.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/placement-for-sale-expose-makes-nonsense-of-cssps-clement-apaak/

In a related development, the Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s education committee, Dr Clement Apaak is worried about the state of the infraction surrounding the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS)

He said that the outcome of the ‘Placement for Sale’ exposé into the placement defies the reasons for which the CSSPS was instituted.

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show, Dr. Apaak, said that the fraudulent school placement activity takes away equity which the CSSPS was supposed to ensure.

“From what I’ve seen so far, I think what has been uncovered makes nonsense of the CSSPS. The reason why Ghana has to invest colossal amounts of money into an artificial system of placing students in Senior High Schools after their completion of Junior High Schools, was to take away the human element, to take away bias and to show fairness and equity,” he said.

Meanwhile, eight persons have been arrested by the police for the involvement in the placement expose.

According to editor-in-chief at Fourth Estate, Manasseh Azure, the suspects have been charged and arraigned.

He, however, stated that two others are at large.