BECE computerised SHS placement must be abolished – Professor

The BECE computerised SHS placement must be abolished, according to Professor Philip Ebow Bondzi-Simpson.

Describing the Senior High School (SHS) placement as unfair, Prof. Philip Ebow Bondzi-Simpson has called for the Ministry of Education to cancel the automatic and self-placement system of placing BECE students into second-cycle schools.

Speaking at the Mfantsipim Stakeholders Forum in Cape Coast, the Professor suggested heads of public second-cycle schools should be allowed to admit BECE students into their schools just like done at the basic and tertiary levels.

Mr Ebow in his address said that the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) is destroying the traditions of schools and hurting them, thus the need for the Education Ministry to review the school initiative.

“The system put in place to admit the students should take into account old boys/girls of the schools, children of staff, a consideration of the members of the church and a small amount of protocol,” he told stakeholders at the Forum.

He stressed that the computerized school placement is destroying the traditions of the school saying that “apart from the human interferences in the process that are putting many stakeholders of the school at a greater disadvantage.”

But Professor Kofi Agyekum reacting to his colleague’s recommendation for the computer SHS placement to be abolished has said the current system used to post BECE students into government secondary schools is the best.

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Admitting the school placement system has challenges that need to be looked at he also said it has made it easy for prospective Junior High School (JHS) graduates to be placed into their choice of secondary schools in the country.

“CSSPS has made it “easy for parents and students the choice schools. It’s also reduced the pressure that used to mount on Heads of the SHSs and people of influence to place students in their suitable schools,” Prof Agyekum stated.

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Describing the CSSPS as the best option for placement of students into various public Senior High Schools, Mr Opanyin Agyekum urged parents to stop compelling their wards to attend the so-called Category A or top schools.

“Sop compelling your children to attend schools they attended or see the schools with big names as the only good schools. They are placed in a different school based on their performance,” professor Kofi Agyekum said.

Source: Academicweek.com