Ferdinand|EducationGhana| October 26|CSSPS 2022: Important Procedure on How to do a Cluster-based School Selection

The 2022 School Selection List for the BECE candidates has been released by the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service.

As part of measures to ensure a smooth placement of qualified BECE candidates, The Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Technical/ Vocational Education and Training Service (TVETS) have put in place the following arrangements for the information of parents/guardians/candidates and the general public.

A. Updates Added to the 2022 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS)

1. Introduction of a cluster of schools: These are similar schools that belong to the same category which candidates may comfortably accept as alternative schools to their initial choices.

2. Absorption of 212 Technical Institutes

3. Inclusion of 5 Newly Established STEM Schools

4. Opportunity to Select Low Enrollment Schools as Boarding in the 6th Choice

Composition of Public Second Cycle Institutions

The Public Second Cycle Institutions comprise the following;

1. Senior High Schools
2. Senior High TechnicalSchools
3. Technical and Vocational Institutions

B. Grouping of Schools 

Categorisations

All second-cycle institutions have been grouped as follows:

I. Public second Cycle Institution: Four (4) groups namely Categories A, B, C and D.

Category A Schools are known as Overly Subscribed Schools.

Category B Schools are known as the Averagely Subscribed Schools

Category C Schools are the Under Subscribed Schools

Category D Schools are known are all Catchment Area Day Schools (These are SHS/SHTS/TVET located within 10 miles or 16KM Radius of the location of the Junior High Schools and must be purely Day SHS, SHTS, TVET Schools and could be one or more.

The Schools could also be located in different Districts or Regions.

This is stated diagrammatically below

Appendixes

The Appendixes, which is a newly introduced aspect of the Comprised School Selection and Placement System, with distinct divisions, namely;

Appendix 1: contains detailed technical institutions (TI) programmes

Appendix 2: contains detailed subjects of the Technical Programmes in the Sec/Tech. institutions

Appendix 3: contains Special Boarding schools for the sixth (6th) Choice

Appendix 4: Cluster of schools

Appendix 5: contains a list of Special Education Needs (SEN) schools

Sample Choice: Examples of correct and wrong choices

C. Before the Selection of Schools and Programmes

Before the Selection of Schools and Programmes are offered, parents/guardians are advised to note that all schools selected (1st-6th) are considered in the placement of candidates.

Subject Categorisation for 2022 School Placement and Calculation of Raw Score for Placement

6 subjects are used for Selection and Placement. These comprise 4 Clore Subjects and Two Best Elective Subjects.

The Core Subjects are ;

1. English Language
2. Mathematics
3. Social Studies
4. Integrated Science

The Elective Subjects are;

1. B.D.T
2. RME
3. I.C.T
4. French
5. Ghanaian Language

The Calculation of Grades

Assuming two students, Naomi Vimenyo and Christiana Baah  sat for the BECE in 2022, and had the following Scores;

NAOMI VIMENYO

CORE Subject                                 Scores

English Language                              1

Mathematics                                     2

Social Studies                                   3

Integrated Science                            1

ELECTIVES                                       Scores

1. B.D.T                                              1
2. RME                                                1
3. I.C.T                                               1
4. French                                             1
5. Ghanaian Language                          2

In Toal Naomi’s Best 6 Aggregate will be All 4 Core Grades, that is 1+ 3+2+1 =7 plus Best Two Electives, that is BDT and ICT (1+1=2) Hence Toal Aggregate for Naomi Vimenyo will be 7 +2=9Hence She has Aggregate 9

Calculating the Same Scores for Christiana Baah 

CORE Subject                                 Scores

English Language                              1

Mathematics                                     1

Social Studies                                   1

Integrated Science                            1

ELECTIVES                                       Scores

1. B.D.T                                              1
2. RME                                                1
3. I.C.T                                               2
4. French                                             2
5. Ghanaian Language                          3

In Toal Christina’s Best 6 Aggregate will be All 4 Core Grades, that is 1+ 1+1+1 =4 plus Best Two Electives, that is BDT and ICT (1+1=2) Hence Toal Aggregate for Christiana Baah will be 4+2=6 Hence She has Aggregate 6.

Per the guidelines for the Selection of Best Candidates with Grades for Placement, emphasis shall be on the Aggregate and not the individual grades since the Core Subjects are key in the determination of Best Aggregates.

In cases where students got the same aggregates, their raw scores, that is percentages wise shall be considered.

Self Placement Models

There shall be a self-placement opportunity for candidates who may not be placed in any of the selected schools to be able to place themselves in available schools.

To use the self-placement model, candidates must;

1. visit the CSSPS Portal via www.cssps.gov.gh
2. Enter their details (Index Numbers and PIN Codes)
3. Choose from the available schools with vacancies
4. Print your placement forms after Submission

Category of Placement for 2022 BECE Candidates

There are four Categories of Candidates for Placement. This includes;

1. Category 1: 2022 BECE Candidates
2. Category 2: 2022 BECE Private Candidates
3. Category 3: Foreign Students/Candidates
4. Category 4: Reentry Candidates

These Categories of students are competing for Placement in 911 Public Second Cycle Institutions in the Country.

D. Conditions for selection of schools

Candidates with guidance from parents/guardians and school authorities;

a) Must choose Six (6) schools (1st – 6th choices) in all.
b) Must select programmes and accommodations for each selected school.
c) Must choose a compulsory day as 6th choice (Catchment Area School) or choose boarding school from the list of schools in Appendix 3

d) Must indicate ‘yes‘ or ‘no‘ to accept or decline to opt for a cluster.

e) Candidates must not indicate any cluster for the 6th Choice

f) Candidates who wish to offer purely TVET Programmes must select all six (6) TVETS schools from CATEGORY A, B and C as Day or Boarding

g) Cannot choose more than one (1) School from Category A
h) Cannot select more than two (2) schools from Category B
1) May select five (5) choices from Category C and One (1) from Category D (Day) or Appendix 3 (Special Boarding)

Introduction of Cluster-Based Schools

Cluster-based Scholls are groups of school,s that belongs to the same category of which a candidate may choose as an alternative should they miss their initial choices from that same category.

illustration of Cluster-based School Selection

Category A Cluster of Schools

1. Achimota Senior High School
2. Aburi Girls SHS
3. St Mary’s Senior High
4. Tema Senior High
5. Accra Girls Senior High
6. St Peters Senior High
7. Presby Boys Senior High School
8. St Thomas Aquinas

Using this Cluster, if Naomi has the opportunity to select Achimota School and she is displaced, meaning hasn’t been placed, she has the option to select ‘YES’ during the selection process indicating, should she miss Achimota School during the placement process, she accepts another opportunity to be placed in any of the schools, within the cluster.

This is applicable to the same cluster if and only if she wishes to be in any of the schools, within that same cluster taking into consideration the similarities between their programmes of choice, housing status etc.

If Naomi doesn’t like any of the schools within the Cluster, she must select ‘NO” to allow the placement selection to consider Category B options with the same cluster arrangement etc.

It is the duty of the teachers, Parents and the Student to have access to all the clusters to be sure the schools fall within his or her interest before accepting the offer by selecting ”YES”

If this decision is not well considered, the students shall be placed in the school unknowingly and this could affect their choice of schools hence must be well thought of before selecting YES or NO

In a situation where a Candidate selects a Category B School, he or she will not be considered for a Category A Cluster if he or she is displaced from his or her initially selected Category B School.

The above statement simply means that the moment your placement moves to the next Category, it means you have no opportunity at the previous Category including a selection of YES for a Cluster. This is because the Cluster Schools are all ahead of your next Category Schools. For instance, All Category A cluster schools are ahead of Category B SChools, and the same applies to Category B Cluster ahead of C etc.

For the above explanations, a student who opted for a Cluster during the selection process could opt for any of the schools in that category.

How to Select SHS from the 2022 School Selection List

For the Selection Criteria,

1. 6 schools must be selected with programmes and Accommodations for each selected school.
2. A compulsory Day School must be selected from the catchment area school or Boarding from the list of Appendix 3 as the 6th Choice.
3. Candidates who wish to offer purely TVET Programmes must select all six (6) TVETS schools from CATEGORY A, B and C as Day or Boarding
4. Candidates Cannot choose more than one (1) School from Category A
5. Candidates Cannot select more than two (2) schools from Category B
6. Meanwhile, Candidates May select five (5) choices from Category C and One (1) from Category D (Day) or Appendix 3 (Special Boarding)

This is the Form that Candidates shall be allowed to fill out for submission.

Mode of Selection of Schools According to Categories of Candidates

NB: The Mode of Selection of the Schools differs based on the categories of candidates

1. School Candidates: Selects Schools and Forward them to their DistrictvEducation Directorates through their headmasters.
2. Private Candidates: Must Select their Schools Online at www.waecinternetsolution.org
3. Foreign Students: must purchase foreign students’ application forms online, fill and submit to the CSSPS/FreeSHS/TVET Secretariate. The date for the selection would be announced when the portal is ready.

Equity of Distribution of Candidates into Schools

There is a 30% Public JHS Equity in Category A Schools for Public JHS Candidates.

Factors to Consider before making Choices of Schools

1. Follow the right procedure before making choices in each Category
2. A combination of a Technical Insititute (TI) and SHS/SHTS will require a catchment area Day Selection
3. School Codes must Tally with Schools’ Selected
4. Access Your Academic Performance before Making a Choice
5. Use Appendix 1 as a guide to select a preferred TVET programme
6. Never choose Schools outside your catchment area
7. You may opt for a Cluster in the 1st to 5th Choice Selection