By Ashiadey Dotse
Tension is mounting at the GNAT Hall in Accra as the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) resolution exercise enters its third day.
The Greater Accra Placement Resolution Centre has been overwhelmed by anxious parents and candidates seeking solutions to their unresolved school placement challenges.
For some parents, the search for a school place has turned into a night-long ordeal, with some sleeping at the GNAT Hall car park after spending hours waiting for assistance.
The situation has created long queues and growing frustration among parents who have travelled from different parts of the region to have their children’s placement issues resolved.
The challenges range from unsuccessful placements and difficulties with school selection to requests to change students’ status from day to boarding and vice versa.
One frustrated parent said he was forced to spend the night at the GNAT Hall with his son after failing to get the placement issue resolved.
He said his son was initially placed at Apam Day Senior High School in the Central Region as a day student.
However, after reporting to the school, they were directed to the placement resolution centre in Accra to seek assistance.
The parent said he left home at about 3 a.m. and arrived at the GNAT Hall around 4 a.m., hoping to be among the first to receive assistance.
But despite arriving early, he said the large crowd made it difficult for officials to attend to everyone.
He said officials began attending to parents around 8 a.m. and asked those seeking changes from day to boarding to state their reasons in writing.
After submitting the required information, he and other parents were asked to wait.
However, after waiting throughout the day, they were eventually told to return the following day.
With the issue still unresolved, the parent said he had no choice but to remain at the centre with his son.
He said the two eventually spent the night at the GNAT Hall car park.
The experience reflects the growing anxiety among parents as they struggle to secure appropriate school placements for their children.
The demand for changes from day to boarding has also become one of the major concerns at the centre, with many parents seeking adjustments to their children’s residential status.
The affected parents are calling for additional placement resolution centres to be established across the Greater Accra Region.
They say this will help reduce the pressure on the GNAT Hall and shorten the long waiting periods.
The parents are also appealing for improved communication and the deployment of more personnel to deal with the increasing number of cases.
For many of them, the issue is no longer just about placement but ensuring that their children have a confirmed school and can begin their secondary education without further uncertainty.
