Assist BECE candidates to select SHSs— CSSPS Coordinator advises parents
The National Coordinator of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), Mr George Atta-Boateng, has called on parents of final-year junior high school students preparing to write this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to show keen interest in the ongoing selection of senior high schools (SHSs) and technical institutes (TIs).
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He said parents should take a break from their work, go to the junior high schools (JHSs) of their children, confer with their teachers and select second cycle schools best suited for their children during the computerised selection exercise this year, judging by their performance in school.
Beginning of selection
The selection of second cycle schools by final-year JHS students began on March 16, 2015 and will end on April 30, 2015. All candidates are required to make four choices of schools and courses they want to pursue under the selection exercise. They have been given the opportunity to choose from five options in making their choices. They are options one, two, three, four and five.
Mr Atta-Boateng told the Daily Graphic that the role of parents and guardians in choosing schools for their children and wards was key since the lack of interest of parents and guardians during the selection process in the past was responsible for children making wrong choices based on what their friends, mates and peers did.
“I entreat all parents to join the teachers and their children in their schools and then take a decision regarding their (children’s) senior high school and technical institute education. This is because more often than not, we hear students didn’t choose the school they have been placed in,” he said, adding that “the parents should get actively involved in the selection exercise now”.
Children’s interest
Mr Atta-Boateng said parents should also consider the interest of the children in what they wanted to do in future because that was where their strength lied.
He noted that during the selection exercise,parents should not only focus on the big or popular schools since the lesser-known ones were also doing well with most of their products qualifying for universities and other tertiary institutions in and outside the country.
Cross-check
After the selection of schools, he said candidates would be given the opportunity to crosscheck the schools and courses they chose through texting to a short code that would be provided.
“Two months after the exercise, we are going to give every student the opportunity to text and confirm that they have chosen certain schools and courses. If they have a problem, they can come to us so that we make the necessary changes with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) before we do the actual placement”.
30 Per cent quota
Regarding the 30 per cent quota for students who attended JHS 10 miles radius of the SHS they want to attend, the CSSPS national coordinator noted that the current selection exercise of SHSs and TIs was a fine opportunity for candidates to make such choices.
“During this time, you must indicate that you want to benefit from the 30 per cent quota in your selection, and parents must take note of this. You look at your school and you find the secondary school 10-mile radius and then you do your selection,” he said.
BECE resitters
On BECE resitters, he said they would be allowed to choose second cycle schools of their choice, indicating that both those going to write the examinations and resitters would be placed at the same time.
