The Ministry of Education has warned that Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) personnel found receiving bribes to place prospective first-year Senior High School students in their preferred schools will be made to face the law when caught.
This follows several complaints by some parents of having to pay bribes to personnel in charge of the CSSPS before their wards can be placed in respective Senior high schools.
Currently, many BECE leavers with challenges are yet to rectify anomalies associated with their school placement.
Citi News’ visit to the National Resolution centre at the GNAT Hall in Accra on both Monday and Tuesday showed that most affected students are yet to secure for themselves schools.
In an interview with the host of the Citi Breakfast Show, Bernard Avle, the Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Kwarteng entreated Ghanaians to report persons perpetuating the illegal act to the police for further action.
“Before the placement came out, we had issued a statement cautioning parents against such acts. We educated parents that the placement is based on merit and that any issue of exploitation, should be reported to the Ministry [of Education].”
“The point is that, why will parents want to pay to get their wards placed in the first place when they can explore the self-placement option?”
He admitted that indeed there may be such situations going on, as is with other institutions, but indicated that the Ministry is working with security agencies to ensure that those found culpable are punished.
“We will persecute you if you take a bribe,” he warned.
The P.R.O for the Ministry also discredited claims by the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) that WAEC marks Basic Education Certificate Education (BECE) candidates of private schools down in an attempt to bridge the yawning gap between their performances with their public school counterparts.
“The records are clear. Averagely, the number of students that get entry into the overly subscribed schools are from private schools. So I beg to defer on this,” he said.