Headteachers exceeded CSSPS placements by 46,000 last year — Iddrisu

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has disclosed that headteachers exceeded the number of students allocated to their schools through the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) by about 46,000 last year.

According to Mr Iddrisu, the situation resulted from headteachers admitting students through channels outside the centralised placement system, including allocations involving alumni groups and other arrangements.

He said the practice had contributed to concerns about transparency and fairness in the senior high school placement process.

Speaking in an interview, the Education Minister said he had since issued directives to ensure that admissions into public senior high schools strictly follow the approved CSSPS process.

Mr Iddrisu stressed that the centralised system was established to ensure that placement was based on clear and uniform criteria rather than personal connections or discretionary arrangements.

He said allowing schools to exceed their approved CSSPS allocations undermined the integrity of the placement system and created an unfair advantage for some applicants.

‘All placements must go through CSSPS’

The Minister said his administration was taking steps to strengthen compliance with the placement system.

He maintained that headteachers should not independently admit students beyond the numbers allocated to their schools through CSSPS.

According to him, the government would work to ensure that the process remained transparent and that students were treated fairly regardless of their background or connections.

Mr Iddrisu also rejected suggestions that the Minister of Education personally controls the placement system.

“I have no access to CSSPS,” he said.

He explained that the system should operate independently and that the integrity of the placement process depended on keeping it insulated from undue influence.

Pressure on Category A schools

The disclosure comes amid growing concerns over the current SHS placement exercise, particularly the intense competition for Category A schools.

Mr Iddrisu said the country had enough SHS spaces overall but acknowledged that demand was heavily concentrated on a limited number of Category A schools.

He cited schools such as Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC), Achimota School and Accra Academy among institutions that continue to attract exceptionally high demand.

He said the government could not provide a Category A place for every student who selected one, given the limited capacity of those schools.

The government is consequently planning to construct 10 new model Category A schools and expand the capacity of selected existing schools as part of efforts to ease the pressure.

Crackdown on unofficial placement

The Minister's disclosure also comes against the background of allegations of people demanding money from parents in exchange for securing SHS placements.

During the interview, Mr Iddrisu referred to an allegation involving a demand for GH¢30,000 to facilitate the placement of a student.

He urged anyone confronted with such a demand to provide the details to the appropriate authorities for investigation.

He said individuals found to be exploiting parents and students through the placement process would face the full force of the law.

Mr Iddrisu urged parents and students to rely on the official placement system rather than individuals claiming to have the power to manipulate placements.

Reforming the system

The Education Minister said government was considering further reforms to make the placement process more efficient, including the use of artificial intelligence.

He said the objective was to strengthen the system, reduce human interference and ensure that available school places were allocated as fairly and transparently as possible.

The government is also seeking to expand the number of quality senior high schools through infrastructure investment, including the planned construction of 10 new Category A institutions.

Mr Iddrisu said these measures, together with stronger quality assurance, were intended to ensure that students had access to quality education regardless of the category of school they attended.