A former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Prof. Philip Ebow Bondzi-Simpson has called for an evaluation of the computerized school selection and placement system (CSSPS) which to him is not working as expected.
He believes that in order to attain academic excellence, school authorities must be permitted to admit their own students as is done at the basic school level.
Prof. Bondzi-Simpson was speaking at Mfantsepim School’s first stakeholder forum dubbed “Dwen Hw3 Kan Forum” which aimed to chart a course to a more impactful future as the country’s leading secondary education institution.
He also reiterated the need to join the Junior High to the Senior High School to create a single high school.
It will be recalled that last year, Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum announced government’s intention to pilot a six-year secondary education system beginning in 2023 by consolidating some junior high schools and some senior high schools under one management.
To that effect, Prof. Bondzie- Simpson expressed his agreement with the decision, adding that neither Senior high school nor Junior high schools instill sufficient relationships into students thus the need to join both levels together.
The Former Rector also advocated for the well-being of teachers to be prioritized.
According to him, teachers contribute immensely to the quality of students in schools thus, they must be given the needed care for academic excellence to be achieved in schools.
He indicated any educational institution’s quality can be improved by considering its teacher’s needs.
Engagement
General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Musah Tanko says the Association will engage the education minister and other stakeholders to see how best the computerized school selection and placement system can be improved.
SHS freshmen per the GES calendar on Monday, April 4, began reporting to their various choices of schools selected through the placement systems although some are yet to be posted.
Those yet to be posted are currently going through a self-placement process by the GES to get them posted.
This, Mr. Tanko says is worrying since every child who selected a school must be placed and not go back to the system to do a self-placement again.
According to him, the review should include the Ghana Education Service deploying more staff to help with the school selection and placement exercise.
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Source: Emmanuella Ama Gyamfi/ATLFMNEWS
