Free SHS: 165, 619 candidates to battle for self-placement

Out of the 547, 329 candidates who sat for the 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE), a total of 538,399 qualified for this year’s Computerised School Selection Placement (CSSPS) in Senior High and Technical and Vocational Schools.

A total of 372,780 students, representing 69.24% of the qualified students have been automatically placed in one of their school choices, while 165, 619 candidates, representing 30,76%, who could not be matched with any of their choices, are to do self-placement to select from available schools.

Candidates for the self-placement module are to select a school from the portal by providing their region, residential preference, school, and programme of choice, click on submit, print the form, and visit the school to begin the admission process.

The candidates are to note that schools selected on the self-placement portal can be changed as many times as the candidate wishes on the portal until they enrol in a school.

Dr Eric Nkansah, the Director General, GES, announced this at a press conference in Accra and said, in line with the 2023 academic calendar, the first-year students were to report to school on February 20, 2023, for registration and orientation for academic work to start on February 27, 2023.

Touching on grievance mechanisms, Dr Nkansah said “solution centres” had been set up at the national level at the Ghana National Association of Teachers Hall, Adabraka, and all the Regional Education Offices across the country to address concerns of students.

“Our social media handles are available for individuals to report any grievances, and our staff will respond as soon as practicable.

“Students or parents can call the toll free number- 0302987654, for their concerns to be addressed,” he said.

Dr Nkansah cautioned parents and guardians to report unscrupulous people, who may approach them to pay any amount of money for placement, to the police.

As part of measures to curb placement infractions, Dr Nkansah said the Service had strengthened its internal controls to double check the integrity of the system.

The Director-General advised heads of all schools to stick to the approved prospectus and urged parents to cooperate with the school authorities during and after the admission processes.

He said the Service, in collaboration with the Regional Directors of Education, had developed one homogeneous prospectus for the schools.

Mr David Prah, Deputy Director General, Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training Service, said 36,000 candidates had been placed in technical and vocational schools to train their creative skills for the country’s development.

The candidates are to obtain a placement pin code from an approved vendor, log onto www.cssps.gov.gh, enter the 10-digit index number and add 22 as the year of completion, enter the serial number and pin code details, click submit, print the forms, and visit the school to begin the admission process.

The 2022 BECE commenced on Monday, October 17, and the West African Examination Council released the results on January 25, 2023.

The CSSPS became operational in September 2005, to address challenges from the manual system of selection and placement.

The system places students transiting from the Junior High Schools to Senior High Schools, Senior High Technical Schools and Technical and  Vocational Institutes.