There’re sufficient SHS/TVET slots for 2024 BECE students – CSSPS
The National Coordinator for the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), Mark Sasu Mensah says enough Senior High School and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (SHS/TVET) places for students who sat for this year’s BECE.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show monitored by Pretertiary.com, the CSSPS official said while there are more than enough spaces available, the distribution remains uneven due to the popularity of certain second-cycle schools.
Commenting on the allocation of second-cycle school placement, he highlighted that approximately 60% of BECE candidates opt for these top-tier schools, creating a bottleneck that leaves other schools with vacant spots.
“Every year, the available spaces in the schools are more than the number of students who sat for the BECE, but the problem that we have is [that] there are a lot of schools that the demand is very low, and there are lots of schools that the demand is very high and about 60% of all the students normally choose the Category A schools,” Sasu explained.
To address the computer placement issue, he said the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) has introduced an additional five school choices for students, aiming to achieve a 90% placement rate this year.
“We realise that there are a lot of schools that are available, yet still lots of people do not get admitted into some schools as a result of their performance or spaces that are not available in schools that they chose. So they end up not getting any of their first six choices,” Mr Mensah said.
The CSSPS official added “Therefore, the last five are schools that for so many years, we have realised that there are spaces. So in case you are not able to get any of the six choices that you have chosen, then the last five choices that you have made, we’ll be able to put you in one of those schools if there are spaces.”
His assurance comes after the Ghana Education Service (GES) scheduled August 28, 2024, to September 4, 2024, for the second-cycle school selection process for students who sat for the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
In a statement sighted by Pretertiary.com, the management of the Education Service said “Parents and guardians are particularly advised to take a keen interest in the school selection exercise to ensure a smooth placement this year.”
“There would be an opportunity for candidates to text to a short code and confirm their school choices before actual placement will be done. Details of the short code will be made communicated in due course,” it added in the release.
The purpose of the second cycle school selection process is to allow candidates to select Senior High Schools or Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions of their choice for computer placement.
Regional Directors of Education have been directed to communicate the dates of the selection process to stakeholders including Metropolitan, Municipal and District Directors of Education, Examination Officers to ensure a smooth conduct of the exercise.
According to the GES, officers from its headquarters will monitor the school selection exercise nationwide to ensure compliance with established guidelines and procedures for the transparent placement of the BECE candidates.
