Mass exodus hits Category C and D schools as heads scout for students at Kumasi centre

Category C and D senior high schools in the Ashanti Region are facing a mass exodus of students as heads scramble to find new pupils at the Kumasi CSSPS Resolution Centre. This surge in student transfers follows the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) placing first-year students in these institutions. School heads report that many of these students have subsequently switched to other schools, citing better grades.

With enrollment low, they are now seeking students and parents at the resolution centre to convince them to choose their schools. The Headmaster of Mansoman Senior High School, Rev. Nicholas Adu Berko, lamented that only 18 out of the initially placed 800 students had reported for admission as of Wednesday. He attributed this to high-achieving students, particularly those with single-digit aggregates, frequently switching schools.

Rev. Berko argued that the resolution centre is being misused to facilitate school changes rather than addressing technical issues like gender mismatches or errors in student records. He called for the dissolution of the centre, stating that its current operations undermine the equity principle of the CSSPS. He also advocated for the cancellation of the categorization of Senior High Schools into A, B, C, and D, as this system has created a perception of inferiority among lower-ranked schools.

The situation at the Kumasi Resolution Centre, located at the Kumasi Technical Institute, has somewhat eased, with only one military officer present to maintain order. Parents and students have called on the Ghana Education Service to clarify the centre's mandate to ensure fairness in the placement process.