Education Ministry To Review School Placement System After Catholic Bishops’ Call

Ghana’s Ministry of Education has said it will conduct a comprehensive review of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) after the current placement exercise.

The ministry said a technical working committee would be established to examine the various components of the system and identify areas that require improvement.

It said the review would focus on strengthening transparency and accountability and making the CSSPS more credible, efficient, and fair to students, parents, and schools.

The ministry was responding to a call by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference for greater transparency, accountability, and an ultimate review of the placement system.

In a statement dated 15 September 2026, the Ministry maintained that the CSSPS is a merit-based system, with merit taking precedence over protocol in the placement of qualified candidates.

It said the system is intended to ensure that placement decisions are guided by established criteria and that qualified students are treated fairly within the approved placement framework.

The Ministry also reiterated that placement under the CSSPS is free and that no parent or candidate is required to pay money to secure a placement or have a placement changed.

It urged parents and guardians with credible evidence of officials or third parties demanding money in connection with school placement to report the matter to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.

According to the Ministry, such reports could involve officials of the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, the CSSPS Secretariat, the Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training Service, or other third parties.

It added that the identity of individuals who report such cases would be protected.

The Ministry said the planned review would form part of efforts to continuously improve the placement system while maintaining merit, fairness and transparency at the centre of the process.