CSSPS: 25 Akropong School for the Blind students yet to be placed

Barely one month after the Ghana Education Service (GES) began the process for the placement of students who passed their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) into Senior High School (SHS), about 25 candidates of the Akropong School for the Blind in the Eastern Region have not yet been placed.

The situation, according to the candidates, has resulted in doubts as to whether they could enter SHS this year or not.

The placement has been done with the Computerized School Selection Placement System (CSSPS), which this year was fraught with many challenges leading to help centers mounted in regional capitals across the country.

Joseph Essien, who is one of the victims, told Onua FM’s Yen Sempa hosted by Bright Kwasi Asempa on Wednesday that he completed 2019 with aggregate 26.

Master Essien explained that he selected two integrated schools, which are Okuapeman SHS and Ghana National College but he is yet to be placed.

He said they were asked to come to the Black Stars Square in Accra for placements but their efforts have been in vain.

Reacting to the issue on Yen Sempa, the Public Relations Officer for the CSSPS and Free SHS Secretariat, Josberta Gyan Kwakye, explained that “we have the automatic placement and manual placement”.

“If the person doesn’t get school at all, that’s where we do the self-placement. If they have a challenge we also do manual placement and some special cases are placed manually”.

Madam Kwakye said “there are specifics. It doesn’t have to do with their grades. They are the only students who are given special treatments”.

“We have placed over 500 in these integrated schools, but because it’s a manual, we place them as and when they come.”

On the issue of them visiting the Black Stars Square in Accra for their placements, Madam Kwakye said “they are not supposed to come to the Independence Square. Because of the special needs, the GES has made special arrangements for them”.

She promised to place them if they provide their details.