Accra, Sept. 25, GNA - The second phase of the Computerized School Placement System begins next week with the admission of about 37,000 candidates to senior secondary schools as against 38,000 vacancies projected by the Ghana Education Service (GES).

Mr Joseph Kwesi Odom; Head of Public Relations, GES told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday that the Service would be in a position to know the exact vacancies available when schools re-opened for the 2006-2007 academic year.

He said school Heads had been asked to update their records and inform the GES to facilitate the posting of students. Mr Odom said the Heads were expected to explain the placement system to parents and candidates.

Some candidates are likely not to get placement at endowed and highly patronized schools they chose as first, second or third choices if their raw scores were not high, he explained. Mr Odom said forms have been made available at the various junior secondary schools to be filled by candidates, who were missed out in the first phase of the placement exercise. He said: "The computer system is the best and must stay," admitting, however, that there were problems associated with it at the initial stages.

Mr Odom expressed optimism that with time the programme would be well placed to pave the way for easy access and management. Ms Josephine Tetteh, a parent who was at the premises of the GES to follow up on the placement of her son into a school, expressed dissatisfaction with the whole computerization process.

"The computer system is a total mess and definitely not the way out," she said.