Executive director of Africa Education Watch (Edu-Watch), Kofi Asare, has proposed a new way to improve Ghana’s second cycle education by the introducing fees to some students in Category ‘A’ schools in Ghana.
He also suggested a way to improve the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS). The system, which places students in senior high schools, has faced criticism for being prone to corruption and not always merit-based. Asare’s suggestion is directed at the president-elect, John Mahama, as part of potential reforms by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Currently, the CSSPS reserves 30% of admissions in Category A schools for students from public junior high schools (JHS). This policy assumes that most students in public JHS come from poor backgrounds and learn under difficult conditions.
Asare agrees with this policy but suggests an additional 20% of Category ‘A’ slots should be reserved for fee-paying students.
These fee-paying students would pay approximately GH¢8,000 per year but must meet the same academic cut-off as public JHS students. Asare explains that this system could help prevent parents from paying between GH¢15,000 and GH¢30,000 to middlemen for these placements.
He further breaks down the financial benefits of his idea. For example, a Category A school admitting 1,000 students annually would set aside 200 slots for fee-paying students. This would generate GH¢1.6 million, which could cover the entire cost of feeding all 1,000 students for a year. Feeding, he notes, makes up 70% of the Free Senior High School (SHS) budget.
By implementing this system, the next NDC government could save money on feeding costs and avoid delays in releasing funds for school meals. It would also address complaints about cash flow issues while ensuring fairness in the placement process.
Read his full post below:
The NDC intends to review the Computerised School Selection & Placement System (CSSPS) to address corruption and make it merit-based.
The CSSPS currently allocates 30% admission protocol to public JHS graduates seeking admission into Category A schools. The assumption is that, public JHS are patronized by the ‘poor’, most of whom learn under challenging situations in basic schools.
That’s great!
Can we consider allocating another 20% of Category A protocol placement to fee paying students, where the ‘rich’ pay about GHC 8K a year after making the same cut-off as the public JHS protocol students?
Afterall, some parents are paying 15-30k to middlemen for same slots.
By this, the GHC 8k would mean every fee paying student pays the full fees for two additional ‘needy’ students.
For example, a Category A school that admits 1,000 students a year would reserve 200 slots for fee-paying students, which would generate GHC 1.6 million a year, enough to cover the entire cost of feeding those 1,000 students in that year. And would be advance cash. Note: Feeding accounts for about 70% of the free SHS budget.
If implemented well, the government would not spend a penny on feeding in the high in demand Category A schools. Also, the issue of delayed disbursement of cash for food would have been addressed, since there would be cash in advance.
Taxing the rich to care for the needy, while still making the rich happy.
Is this possible or should we allow the middlemen to enjoy, while we complain about cash flow issues?
- This proposal is just for Cat A schools.
H Kwasi Prempeh, what ya say?
