Placement to be based on performance — CSSPS
The Computerised School Selection Placement Secretariat (CSSPS) has stated that the placement of candidates in senior high schools (SHSs), technical and vocational institutions would be based on their performance, and nothing else.
“It is their performance that would guarantee them their choices of school and no other means,” the National Coordinator of the CSSPS, Mr Mark Sasu-Mensah, assured the public.
2017 BECE
He gave the assurance in a message to candidates of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) who will be writing the examination.
This year’s BECE will take place from June 5 to 9, 2017 nationwide. About 468,053 candidates from 15,185 junior high schools (JHSs) will write the exam in 1,702 centres.
Exam malpractice
Mr Sasu-Mensah advised the students to stay clear from examination malpractice and assured them that the examination was within their capabilities.
He reminded them that the consequences of exams malpractice were dire and could land them in trouble and cut short their progression in life.
Mr Sasu-Mensah charged the candidates to take the opportunity to “write with their heart, to write with their minds and to write with their skills to enable them to come out with flying colours.”
Policy challenges
He hinted that there would be major policy changes in the educational sector, which would affect students positively, saying that one of such policies is the inauguration of the Free Shs Implementation Committee.
On innovations, Mr Sasu-Mensah said the CSSPS, as a customer service centre, would ensure that structures were put in place to truly serve the public and create avenues for the candidates, parents and, indeed, the public to channel their complaints and challenges.
Call centre
Consequently, he said, the secretariat was establishing call centres as a platform to address such challenges and added that where the problem could not be resolved at the call centres, “those with complaints will be given a code, which will give them a licence to come to our offices to find lasting solutions to their problem.”
“This is one of the innovations that I am bringing on board. To bring transparency, to bring diplomacy and to resolve some of the problems parents and candidates have,” he added.
He said it was only when the caller was not satisfied with the answers given by the centre that the person would be referred to the offices of the CSSPS for further discussions.
Best wishes
Mr Sasu-Mensah used the opportunity to wish all the candidates well in the examinations.
He assured them that all the years they had spent in preparing would yield good fruits.
He said it was only hard work that would guarantee them good performance and that it was good performance that would guarantee them their choice of school.
The Director in charge of the Public Relations of the Ghana Education Service, Rev. Jonathan Bettey, for his part, pledged the service’s support in prayers for all candidates who would write the examination.
Statistics
Giving further statistics on the breakdown of the candidates, Rev. Bettey said 241,148 of them were males, while 226,905 were females, with 57 of the candidates being visually challenged.
He added that 199,059 candidates would take the French paper, while 453,654 would take the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) paper.
Caution
He cautioned candidates against any form of examination malpractice and reminded them of the consequences.
Rev. Bettey also advised them against any false information on leakage and sounded a warning to all to desist from fomenting trouble in and around the centres.
