SHS Placement: Catholic Bishops Demand Probe Into Protocol Scandal
The Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference has demanded a full scale investigation into alleged protocol admissions in Accra, calling for an independent probe into irregularities undermining the Computerized School Selection and Placement System during the ongoing senior high school placement exercise in Ghana.
The prelates described the practice as a corrosive parallel structure that subverts meritocracy and entrenches inequity within the second cycle education architecture. According to the Conference Secretariat in Accra, opacity surrounding discretionary slots is eroding public confidence and must be dismantled through forensic auditing of admission logs and stringent sanctions against complicit officials at the placement secretariat.
A senior cleric associated with the Conference noted that education remains the most potent leveller in society and therefore cannot be auctioned to influence peddlers, stressing that the church will not remain silent while merit is sacrificed. The Conference argues that procedural integrity must be restored through real time publication of cut offs, verifiable merit lists and independent oversight of placement operations to protect vulnerable families.
The intervention comes amid mounting parental anguish over placement anomalies, with qualified candidates reportedly denied preferred programmes while less qualified applicants secure elite institutions through clandestine channels. Historically, the CSSPS was introduced to eliminate human interference and democratize access to senior high schools, yet it remains vulnerable to protocol manipulation linked to political patronage and bureaucratic rent seeking. This evergreen system processes BECE scores against school cut offs and available vacancies under the Free SHS policy, and any backdoor entry distorts equity, inflates class sizes and delegitimizes merit as the sole currency for academic progression.
The bishops are urging government to treat the probe as a moral imperative rather than administrative routine, warning that failure to act decisively could entrench cynicism among students and undermine the Free Senior High School policy itself. Stakeholders anticipate that a transparent inquiry, criminalization of unauthorized protocols and institutionalized whistleblower protection could reset ethical standards and reaffirm constitutional guarantees of equal educational opportunity for all Ghanaian children.
Source: #Howedey.com
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Author: Korkor Anumu
