SHS Placement Model to Ease Pressure on Category A Schools
About 600,000 spaces have been declared available for this year's Senior High School placement exercise, with candidates expected to complete their selections within the stipulated period.
New Approach to School Selection
The Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) Secretariat Coordinator, Sherif Sulemana, says the introduction of a "results first before placement" approach will help reduce the intense competition for Category A Senior High Schools. Under the new system, candidates will receive their BECE results before selecting their preferred Senior High Schools, unlike previous years when students made their choices before knowing their examination outcomes.
Speaking on the Joy Super Morning Show, Mr. Sherif explained that the change is aimed at creating a more transparent, fair and merit-based placement process by ensuring that students' academic performance guides their school selections.
How the New System Works
Candidates will be ranked based on their aggregate scores, which are calculated from four core subjects and the two best-performing elective subjects. "Once the results are released, the system ranks candidates based on their aggregate scores. Placement is then done according to the candidate's programme choice, school preference and availability of space," Mr. Sherif explained.
This approach will help students make realistic decisions about the schools they choose, taking into consideration their performance and the competitiveness of their preferred institutions.
Pressure Off Category A Schools
Mr. Sherif noted that in previous years, many candidates selected highly competitive Category A schools without knowing whether their results would meet the required standards, leading to overwhelming demand for limited spaces. Last year, about 65 per cent of candidates sought placement in Category A schools, although those schools had only about 10 per cent of the available spaces.
"With the results now available before selection, we expect candidates to assess their chances better and make choices that align with their grades," he said. Mr. Sherif believes the revised system will improve the distribution of students across schools while easing pressure on a few highly sought-after institutions.
Opportunity to Review and Correct Mistakes
Mr. Sherif has also assured candidates that an opportunity will be provided to review and correct any mistakes made during the selection process before final confirmation. This will give students a chance to rectify any errors that may have been made during the selection process.
The new approach aims to create a more transparent, fair and merit-based placement process, ensuring that students' academic performance guides their school selections. As the placement exercise gets underway, candidates are advised to take advantage of the new system to make informed decisions about their future.
With the introduction of the "results first before placement" approach, the pressure on Category A schools is expected to ease, allowing students to make more realistic choices about their preferred institutions. As the placement exercise unfolds, it will be interesting to see how the new system impacts the distribution of students across schools.
Source: Joy Online
