By GNA Team
Accra, Sept. 11, GNA – Some parents and guardians of prospective senior high school (SHS) students have expressed frustration over challenges encountered with the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) following the release of the 2026/2027 placement results.
The parents, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the GNAT Hall in Accra on Wednesday, said they had encountered discrepancies involving school placements, residential status and programmes of study, while others complained about long queues and delays in having their concerns addressed.
The Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) released the 2026/2027 SHS placement results on Friday, September 4, prompting hundreds of parents and guardians to visit the designated centre to seek assistance with various placement-related concerns.
The CSSPS is designed to match candidates with SHS, technical and vocational institutions based on their academic performance, selected programmes and available vacancies.
The official CSSPS portal indicates that candidates who are not automatically placed may use the self-placement option to select a school and programme with available space.
It also states that automatic placement is final, while self-placement is not available to candidates who have already been placed.
At the GNAT Hall, however, some parents said they were seeking clarification and assistance over placements they claimed did not correspond with the choices submitted during the school selection exercise.
Mr Reuben Shine, whose son, Isaac Kudjo Jimekpe Shine, obtained an aggregate of seven, said his son was initially placed at Achimota Senior High School, his first choice, but the placement later changed to Swedru Senior High School.
He said Swedru Senior High School was not among the schools his son had selected.
“On the portal, it was Achimota Senior High School, but when I came to print the placement, it had changed to Swedru Senior High School,” he said.
Mr Shine said his son had sent him a screenshot showing the initial placement at Achimota Senior High School, which he intended to present to the officials to help resolve the matter.
“I have waited for almost three hours at the GNAT Hall and I am informed that officials will get back to me,” he said.
A guardian, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some candidates had been placed in schools or programmes they had not selected, despite what she considered to be competitive grades.
The guardian said a sister, who obtained eight ones, was placed at St Joseph Technical School, although she had selected St Paul Technical School as her first choice.
She appealed to the authorities to engage affected parents and resolve genuine discrepancies, saying the situation had created anxiety for some families.
The guardian also raised concerns about queue management, alleging that some people used personal connections to move ahead of others who had been waiting.
Another parent from the Central Region said she had gone to the centre to seek a change in the placement and residential status of one of her two children.
She said while one child had been placed at St Mary’s, the other had been placed at St John’s Grammar, with both assigned day status, although she wanted them to be together at St Mary’s as boarders.
The parent said she was hopeful that the matter would be resolved, having previously assisted someone with a similar placement challenge.
She said officials had not demanded any payment for the service.
The parents called for improved queue management and better arrangements at the centre to reduce waiting times, particularly given the heat and inadequate ventilation at the venue.
They also appealed to the authorities to address genuine placement discrepancies promptly to enable students to complete the admission process and begin the new academic year without prolonged uncertainty.
The situation at the GNAT Hall reflects the pressure that often accompanies the transition of thousands of BECE candidates into second-cycle institutions, particularly where demand for particular schools and programmes exceeds available vacancies.
The CSSPS portal currently provides services including placement checking, self-placement, choice confirmation, editing of choices, re-entry and foreign placement, with support lines available to candidates and parents seeking assistance.
GNA
Reporters: Sasel Ekumah/Priscilla Adjei/Stephandy Kyeraah/Evans Osei/Obed Kumi,
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe