By: Jennifer Frimpong Wiredu
Former Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education and educationist, Mr. Yaw Opoku Mensah, has called for caution in the proposed inclusion of private Senior High Schools (SHS) in this year’s school placement exercise.
In a statement shared with the media, Mr. Opoku Mensah expressed concern over the readiness of several private schools that are being considered for the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
He emphasized that most of these schools either have expired licenses or lack valid permits, raising questions about their compliance with regulatory standards.
“Most of the selected schools included in the placement process either have expired licenses or are without valid operational permits. Beyond documentation, these schools lack the qualified teachers and adequate infrastructure required to effectively implement the new curriculum,” he noted.
According to Mr. Opoku Mensah, the rushed inclusion of such institutions could jeopardize the quality of education and shortchange unsuspecting learners and their parents.
“The consequences will be an injustice to the innocent learners and their families who trust the system to provide quality education,” he warned.
He further urged key educational bodies, including the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA) and the Ghana Education Service (GES), to come forward and explain the criteria used in selecting the pilot private schools.
“It will be of great relief to parents and the general public if the modalities for the selection of these piloted schools are explained. That transparency will build public trust and reassure citizens that this move is not politically motivated, but genuinely intended to improve educational access and quality,” he added.
Mr. Opoku Mensah’s comments come at a time when education stakeholders are raising critical questions about the readiness of both public and private schools to implement Ghana’s new standards based curriculum, especially with limited resources and teacher training gaps.
The Ministry of Education has yet to officially respond to the concerns, but education observers believe that a broader consultation and careful rollout will be key to ensuring that learners are not disadvantaged in the process.
