In Kumasi, Ghana, a significant number of parents and students are facing challenges with the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS). On September 22, over 200 individuals lined up at the KTI Hall, the designated centre for resolving CSSPS complaints in the Ashanti Region. They were there to address errors in their school placements, which have resulted in children missing out on classes. This scene has been repeating for roughly two weeks, with many families having to make multiple visits to resolve their issues.
The KTI Hall serves as a crucial location for students and parents to request corrections or changes to their school placements. However, the process has been slow, with some parents having to return multiple times. One parent reported that she had already visited the hall once before, only to be told that the correction would be made, but it never appeared in the system. This forced her to return, highlighting the frustration and uncertainty faced by many families.
The backlog of placement errors and appeals began when the Education Ministry delayed the release of the 2026/2027 school placement results from August 31 to September 4. This postponement was intended to give an estimated 20,000 students more time to complete their data submission. However, it appears to have triggered a chain of errors and appeals that are still being addressed weeks later.
The delays and errors in the CSSPS have significant consequences for the students and their families. Many children have been forced to stay at home while their classmates, who received correct placements, have already started school. This not only affects their academic progress but also incurs additional costs for transportation and waiting time for parents who need to return multiple times to the correction centre.
The situation at KTI Hall is part of a broader set of challenges in this year's placement and admissions cycle. Recently, the Ghana Education Service announced an investigation into senior high school heads over the forced sale of prospectus items, another issue raised by parents at the start of the school year. These incidents raise questions about the efficiency and effectiveness of the current placement system.
The impact of these delays is particularly concerning for the students who are falling behind their peers. With some students already weeks behind, the backlog raises questions about how quickly the region's placement system can absorb corrections once the academic year is already underway. The uncertainty and delays are adding to the stress and financial burden on families.
As of the latest reports, there is no clear timeline for clearing the backlog at KTI Hall. Neither MyJoyOnline nor Adom News reported a specific timeline, and no new statement from the Education Ministry or Ghana Education Service on the queues had been issued. It remains unclear how many of the roughly 20,000 students affected by the earlier data submission extension are among those still waiting for their placements to be corrected.
Key points
- Over 200 parents and students are queueing daily at KTI Hall in Kumasi to resolve CSSPS placement errors.
- The delays are causing children to miss classes weeks into the term, with some students already weeks behind their peers.
- The backlog began after the Education Ministry delayed the release of school placement results to give more students time to complete their data submission.
