Following the release of BECE results and school placement for candidates, the Management of Ghana Education Service has answered some mind-boggling questions concerning school choices and the placement system.
These answers seek to inform parents, guardians, students and the general public who keep asking questions about the computerized school selection and placement system.
In this guide, we will take you through some questions and answers about school choices and placement as answered by GES.
- Can I change a school I selected through self-placement?
YES. A candidate who got placed in a school through self-placement, can change the school on the portal so long as that candidate has not enrolled in a school.
- Can a student change residential status or programme of study after placement?
NO. A candidate usually gets placed into a particular school based on their preferred programme and the residential status they chose.
A candidate competes for a slot in a particular school based on their preferences provided. Therefore, neither the residential status nor the programme of study can be changed.
- I had a grammar school, but I now feel like doing a course in TVET. Can I reapply and be chosen?
YES. You stand a chance given the availability of vacancies after the automatic placement.
- Can a person change school after enrolment?
NO. The placement process ends once a candidate begins the admission process by going to the school to complete the relevant form(s).
Any movement from one school to another after enrolment is considered a transfer. A student can only transfer after one academic year.
- Do I have to pay for anything when I get to school?
NO, you don’t have to pay anything.
- Can a candidate with good grade miss out on their first, second or all of their choices?
YES. All spaces in the schools are competitively filled taking into consideration the available spaces in the school (i.e. Preferred residential status and Programme of choice).
Hence, qualified candidates are ranked from the highest score to the lowest and the total vacancies declared for that programme determines the number to be placed.
The rest of the candidates are moved to their next choice.
- I was enrolled in a school, but my name can no longer be found on their system. What can be done?
If indeed a candidate was enrolled in a particular school, but the details can no longer be found on the school’s system, the Head of the school will formerly report to the appropriate office for redress.
The candidate should not be sent away from the school.
- Is it possible for someone who did not choose a particular school to be placed into that school?
NO. It is not possible during the automatic placement process. However, a candidate can get placed into a school through ‘protocol’ placement process.
- I chose a grammar school but didn’t get the choice I wanted. Can I get an admission into a TVET school?
YES. You stand a chance given the availability of vacancies after the automatic placement.
- The Head of the school I want my child/ward to attend says there is space in the school. Can the child be placed there on this basis?
NO. Schools have established ways of communicating to authorities. Placement is done on the basis of the vacancies declared by the schools.
Once those vacancies have been filled by the CSSPS in that school, GES is unable to do any further placements in the school.
- I selected and was placed in a school that was on my list of school choices. Can I change to another school?
NO. You cannot change to another school, if the school was one of the six schools you chose.
- Is it possible for someone with aggregate 7 not get access into a particular school but someone with aggregate 10 can get into the same school?
YES. Programmes selected, and residential status may differ from one candidate to the other. Therefore, the competition for slots may differ.
For instances, in most cases, the Science programmes of study is highly competitive over other programmes, and so is a boarding accommodation status over a Day status.
- A candidate with Aggregate 10 got placed on a particular Programme and residential status and yet another with Aggregate 8 did not, even though they chose the same programme and residential statuses. How is this possible?
There is a protocol system of placement that allocates 5% of a school’s declared vacancies to the school for allocation of its stakeholders.
It is therefore possible for the ward of an alumnus or a staff member of the school to get admission ahead of another child seeking admission at the same school. Other stakeholders include the Missions and the Traditional Seats of the relevant school.
Talented candidates such as those good in sports may also be considered by a school for some of its protocol slots.
Similarly, 30% of spaces in the country’s top 71 schools have been reserved for candidates from public Junior High Schools.
As such, candidates from Public Basic Schools across the country compete for the 30% of space. Hence, the competition of the 60% is different from the competition for the 30%.
- Can I be enrolled into a school when I or a representative of mine is not present?
NO. For enrolment to be successful, the school will need the students’ unique ID, address and details of their parents or guardian, and phone number.
Once a candidate or parent / guardian submits their forms to the school placed, the school uses the information provided on the forms to enroll the candidate.
Therefore, it is not possible for a school to get all such personal information of a candidate without the candidate or a representative being present in the school.
- I missed out on all six choices. What do I do?
Candidates who miss out on all their choices after the automatic placement system is done, still have the opportunity to select schools with vacancies available through the self-placement process.
Parents, guardians, students and the general public who might have challenges / issues / concerns and further questions they would like to get answers to have been directed by GES to call the CSSPS call centre with toll-free number 0308258001 for their concerns to be addressed.
Published By: Justice Donkoh | GESHub.org
