Education Research and Policy Analyst Divine Kpe has called for reforms to the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) so that students who do not meet the required grades cannot select Category A schools.
Speaking on JoyNews The Pulse on Tuesday, September 8, Mr Kpe said the Ministry of Education must examine data from the current placement exercise to determine whether students selecting Category A schools have the grades required for admission. He noted that the introduction of the policy allowing students to know their examination results before selecting schools provides an opportunity to address the issue.
“If it is about system misuse, they have not qualified, I think the system can be improved, where you enter your grade, and the system should be able to restrict you not to proceed if your grade has not matched up to the criteria of that particular school,” he said.
Mr Kpe highlighted the disparity between the number of available places and the number of students seeking admission to Category A schools. While the available capacity was about 76,000 places, more than 300,000 learners had selected Category A schools. He asked whether the high number of selections is driven by students who genuinely qualify or by those who are selecting institutions despite not meeting the required criteria.
The analyst suggested that the Ministry should be able to extract and analyse the relevant data to determine the extent of the problem and use the findings to improve the placement process. He argued that integrating students’ grades into the school selection process could make the system more efficient, checking results against admission requirements before a choice is submitted.
Such a measure, he said, would prevent students who do not meet the required criteria from choosing highly competitive schools and reduce disappointment during the placement exercise. It could also ease pressure on schools with limited capacity and minimise the number of students seeking assistance at placement centres.
Mr Kpe acknowledged that demand for better‑performing schools will always be high. He said the objective should not be to eliminate competition for Category A schools but to ensure that the competition is based on realistic and eligible choices.
In the coming weeks, the Ministry of Education is expected to review the CSSPS data and consider the analyst’s recommendations to refine the placement system.
