Kumasi, June 12, GNA - The first segment of a nationwide public education on the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Ghana Education Service (GES) began at the GNAT Hall in Kumasi on Friday.

The forum, aimed at ensuring that the computerised selection and placement of qualified BECE candidates into the senior Secondary and technical schools is rid of flaws, was introduced last year to replace the manual selection by head of schools and institutions. Addressing over 400 stakeholders made up of headteachers and students in the Kumasi metropolis, Mr Andres Asare Ackuaku, National Coordinator of the CSSPS, pointed out that the system would ensure transparent and fair selection of candidates if only common errors on their forms could be avoided.

He advised the headteachers and students to adhere strictly to the selection and placement guidelines to ensure that entry forms were filled correctly.

Mr Ackuaku said over 134,000 errors were detected in the first edition of the computerised system last academic year resulting in selection and placement problems, which could reflect negatively on the affected candidates.

He cited examples of wrong shading and coding, males selecting female schools or vice versa, choosing of wrong programmes and many other fundamental errors committed by the prospective candidates while filling their entry forms.

The coordinator appealed to the print and electronic media to help in educating the stakeholders on the selection and placement guidelines and not capitalise on the ignorance of a section of the public as a source of comic relief for laughter.

The Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Education, Mr Twumasi Amponsah explained that the computerised system, if properly managed could completely do away with flaws and inconsistencies associated with the manual selection because it would be based entirely on merit. He urged teachers to desist from collecting illegal fees from students and make profitable use of contact hours, stressing that headteachers would be held responsible for any lapses in the administration of their schools.

Mr Amponsah emphasised that teachers caught misappropriating the capitation grant would face the full rigours of the law. The Assistant Director of Education, Mr Owusu Afriyie called on all the stakeholders on the CSSPS to collaborate their efforts to achieve optimum success in promoting high quality education in the country.