SSS heads asked to inform changes in programmes

Accra, Aug. 11, GNA 96 Heads of Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) should inform Ghana Education Service (GES) anytime there was a change in the programme their schools were running to facilitate the implementation the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).

Mr A. A. Akuoko, Coordinator of CSSPS, told the GNA on Friday that some schools had changed their programmes without authorisation neither had they informed the GES about the changes.

He said in the Central Region Eguafo Abirem SSS dropped Home Economics and Visual Arts while Senya SSS dropped Visual Arts and in Ashanti Region both Obiri Yeboah and Saint Jerome SSS had dropped General Science.

He explained that such actions placed candidates at a disadvantage because the students might either apply for programmes that had been dropped or would not apply for programmes that were available and thus limited the candidates' number of choices and created problems during placement.

Mr Akuoko said 29 schools had declared vacancies for programmes that had not been approved by the GES.

He said the Secretariat of the CSSPS would ignore programmes that had not been approved, adding, however, that there would be problem for candidates, who had chosen programmes that had been dropped. Mr Akuoko said for a programme to be approved, the minimum number of candidates must be 20 and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) must have inspected facilities at the school.

He appealed to Heads of Junior Secondary Schools to constantly refer to the WAEC Schools Register for Senior Secondary Schools to be sure of programmes offered by schools before students made their choices.

Mr Akuoko said if schools failed to declare their vacancies early enough for this year's placement the Secretariat would rely on old data for the placement.

He said private schools, which wanted to be included in the system, needed to apply to the GES, which would inspect the facilities before giving approval for the school to be included in the register. Mr Akuoko said GES had given approval for 40 private SSS and 54 technical institutes to be included in the register. He said 1,771 out of 4,000 application forms for re-entry given out had been submitted, but 40 per cent of the number was not qualified. Mr Akuoko appealed to heads of schools to help students in shading their scanable forms since errors created problems for the candidates. He urged District Education Officers to vet the forms with Circuit Supervisors before forwarding them. 11 Aug. 06