On Wednesday, September 9, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, former Education Minister and Bosomtwe MP, told The Pulse on JoyNews that the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) should not be blamed for the challenges it has faced. He argued that the root of the issues lies in the policies and algorithms that govern the system, not the computer itself.
“It’s not a computer. It’s the algorithm. It’s what you tell the computer to do,” Adutwum said. He added that any attempt to change the outcome of the placement process must begin with a review of the policies that guide the software, rather than simply replacing or altering the platform.
Adutwum stressed that the computer merely follows instructions programmed into it. “A computer is not a human being,” he said, urging that the focus shift to the software development process and the rules that determine how the placement algorithm works.
He called for an examination of the policies used by software developers in creating CSSPS, asserting that the software itself should not be held responsible for the decisions it produces.
In closing, Adutwum reiterated that the primary area for improvement is the policy framework that regulates the system, not the computerised platform.
