General News of Monday, 11 September 2017

Source: starrfmonline.com

CSSPS: Students to wait next year for placement

Some parents besieged the Education Ministry to demand answers as the Free SHS start today Some parents besieged the Education Ministry to demand answers as the Free SHS start today

Parents who couldn’t get their wards placed last year and this year by the Computer School Selection Placement System (CSSPS) may have to wait another year to send their children to school, according to the Education Ministry. Many of such parents who claim they weren’t notified of any ongoing process to re-register previous students who weren’t absorbed say they will oppose the placement system.

This was revealed after some angry parents of students yet to be placed by the Computer School Selection Placement System besieged the Education Ministry to demand answers as the free Senior High School policy officially kicks off today.

Parents seeking to have their wards gain admission into Senior High Schools say the CSSPS is frustrating and punishing them as they call on the Ministry to immediately resolve their grievances.

Accessing postings on the database has been challenging, while in many cases students have either not been placed at all or have been sent to schools they never selected.

The Education Ministry has extended the deadline for the registration to the end of September but some parents who spoke to Starr News say the extension of the deadline is pointless.

Starr News’ Daniel Nii Lartey who is at the Education Ministry reports that the scene is chaotic with frustrated parents demanding that their children are placed so they can start preparation for their wards.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, Mr. Motor Plahar told Starr News that the ministry is overwhelmed by the situation.

He, however, added that measures are being put in place to address their concerns.

The free Senior High School policy begins in all public senior high schools across the country today, September 11, 2017.

The free SHS policy, to cost 3.6 billion Ghana cedis each year, was a major campaign promise by then candidate Nana Akufo Addo in both the 2012 and 2016 elections.

A little over 400, 000 students are expected to benefit from the policy that will exempt them from paying for tuition and other fees.