Nicholas Boadi Baafi Calls for Urgent CSSPS Reform Amid Placement Crisis Affecting 55,000 Students

The Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) is currently facing significant operational hurdles, leading to a crisis that has left approximately 55,000 students without initial school placements. Mr. Nicholas Boadi Baafi, the former Free SHS Coordinator for the Oti Region, has identified management weaknesses and recent system changes as the primary drivers of this year's placement difficulties. While the CSSPS has experienced periodic challenges since its 2005 inception, Baafi noted that the current resurgence of issues in 2025 coincides with the transition of personnel following the change in government, suggesting a loss of institutional memory and expertise within the system's administration.

Baafi specifically criticized the lack of adequate training for officials overseeing the current school selection process. A major point of contention is the new approach where students select their preferred schools after receiving their examination results. Although this shift was intended to streamline the process by matching students to schools based on actual performance, Baafi argues it has instead yielded widespread confusion. Furthermore, the decision to allow students to select two Category A schools has significantly heightened expectations and increased anxiety among parents and candidates as competition for top-tier institutions intensified, leading to a higher volume of unplaced students.

Beyond the technical failures of the placement system, Baafi highlighted broader educational disparities, particularly within the Oti Region. He pointed to persistent teacher shortages as a critical barrier to student performance, which in turn complicates the placement process when students do not meet the competitive thresholds of their chosen schools. He warned that the success of the Free SHS policy is being undermined by these administrative and structural gaps, which require immediate attention from the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service.

In his concluding remarks, the former coordinator urged the government and educational stakeholders to adopt a strictly non-partisan approach to school placement and general educational policy. Baafi asserted that the focus must remain on the academic success and well-being of all Ghanaian children, rather than political considerations. He called for the reintegration of experienced hands who understand the nuances of the Free SHS policy to stabilize the CSSPS and ensure that no student is left behind due to technical or managerial inefficiency.