The 2023 BECE results are expected to be released in November 2023 however, there are facts about the 2023 School Placement For BECE Graduates which candidates and parents need to know ahead of the release of the results and school placements.
This post will help stakeholders understand the issues and get ready for any eventualities by the time the results and placements are released.
Questions and Answers Regarding The 2023 School Placement For BECE Graduates
Through the School placement, better known as the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), BECE candidates who pass the examination will be placed automatically or may be asked to use the self placement module.
Whether a candidate will be placed in a Secondary School or TVET school all depends on his or her performance in the examination, thus grade and raw score. However, the competition from other candidates who chose the same school for the limited slots will place a key role in determining the school you are placed in.
When will the 2023 School Placements be released?
The 2023 School placement for 2023 BECE graduates is likely to be released before the end of November 2023. This is because, the GES calendar shows that SHS1 students who are currently BECE graduates will be in school from 4th December.
What is the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) in Ghana?
- The CSSPS is an electronic system that places students in SHS based on their BECE performance and preferences.
- The system is designed to be more efficient and fair than the previous manual system.
- The CSSPS aims to reduce the stress and uncertainty that students and parents face when trying to secure a spot in a preferred school.
- The system is also designed to ensure that schools are filled with the most qualified students.
- The CSSPS is not without its challenges, but the GES is constantly working to improve the system.
- The CSSPS places students in SHS based on their raw scores in six subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and two other best subjects.
- Students can select up to eleven schools per the 2023 school selection system in order of preference, but they are not guaranteed to be placed in their preferred school.
- Students who are not placed in any of their preferred schools may be given the option to use the self placement module if they did not obtain grade 9 in Mathematics and or Integrated Science.
How to check 2023 school placement status
You can check your school placement status by following these steps
- Lo onto the CSSPS website.
- Click on the “Check Placement” button to proceed.
- In the new interface, key in your index number, ensure that you add the numbers 23 to the index number. This shows that you sat the BECE in 2023. Without it, the system will give you wrong information and the school placement checker will also be unusable again.
- Click on the “Submit” button.
- School placement will be displayed on the CSSPS website, including the name of the school and the program of study.
- It is recommended that students print out their placement information and head to your school after filling all the necessary information on the form.
A student who is placed would have to print out the placement sheet and the placement form. The placement form will have to be filled with the right information. At least two passport size photographs are needed. These must be signed by the head of your basic school or any person in authority.
Once this is complete, you take it to your school for the necessary admission particulars or prospectus.
Why will a student not be placed at all?
The 2023 School Placement For BECE Graduates Will Be Missed by A student If
- He or she is caught in an exam malpractice and his or result (s) are cancelled by WAEC.
- He or she fails or obtains grade 9 in Maths or Integrated Science
- He or she does not make the required pass mark to merit an automatic placement. Such a candidate will be directed to use the self placement module.
12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SCHOOL PLACEMENT.
These twelve (12) frequently asked questions and answers are provided here to help teachers, parents/guardians and students to appreciate the placement system. The information here is provided by the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education.
1. I missed out on all my choices. What do I do?
When the 2023 School Placement is under way, candidates who miss out on all their choices after the automatic placement system is done, still have the opportunity to select schools with vacancies available through the Self-placement process described earlier.
2. Can a candidate with good grades miss out on their first, second, or all of their choices?
YES. All spaces in the schools are competitively filled taking into consideration the available spaces in the school (i.e. Preferred residential status and programme of choice). Hence, qualified candidates are ranked from the highest score to the lowest and the total vacancies declared for that programme determines the number to be placed. The rest of the candidates are moved to their next choice in the 2023 School Placement.
3. Is it possible for someone with aggregate 7 not get access into a particular school, but someone with aggregate 10 can get into the same school?
YES. Programmes selected and residential status may differ from one candidate to the other. Therefore, the competition for slots may differ. For instance, in most cases, the Science programme of study is highly competitive over other programmes, and so is a Boarding accommodation status over a Day Status. This means the 2023 School Placement will consider all these to determine the placement of a candidate into a school.
4. candidate with Aggregate 10 got placed on a particular Programme and residential status and yet another with Aggregate 8 did not, even though they chose the same programme and residential statuses. How is this possible?
There is a protocol system of placement that allocates 5% of a school’s declared vacancies to the school for allocation to its stakeholders. It is therefore possible for the ward of an alumni or a staff member of the school to get admission at the same school.
Other stakeholders include the Missions and the Traditional Seats of the relevant school. Talented candidates such as those good in Sports may also be considered by a school for some of its protocol slots.
Similarly, 30% of spaces in the country’s top Category A schools have been reserved for candidates from public Junior High Schools. As such, candidates from Public Basic Schools across the country compete for the 30% of space. Hence, the competition for the 60% is different from the competition for the 30%.
4. Is it possible for someone who did not choose a particular school to be placed into that school?
It is not possible during the automatic placement process. However, a candidate can get placement into a school through ‘protocol’ placement procedures during the 2023 School Placement
4. Can a person change school after enrolment?
No. The 2023 School Placement process ends once a candidate begins the admission process by going to the school to complete the relevant form(s). Any movement from one school to another after enrolment is considered a transfer. A student can only transfer after one academic year.
5. Can a student change residential status or programme of study after placement?
A candidate usually gets placed into a particular school based on their preferred programme and the residency. A candidate competes for a slot in a particular school based on the preferences provided. Therefore, neither the residency nor the programme of study can be changed. The 2023 School Placement just like the previous ones does not permit change of programmes or accommodation status.
6. Can I change a school I selected through self-placement?
YES. A candidate who got placed in a school through self-placement, can change the school on the portal so long as that candidate has not enrolled in a school.
7. I selected and was placed in a school that was on my list of school choices.
Can I change to another school?
You cannot change to another school, if the school was one of the six schools you chose.
8. Can I be enrolled into a school when I or a representative of mine is not present?
For enrolment to be successful, the school will need the student’s unique ID, address and details of their parents or guardian, and phone number. Once a candidate or parent/guardian submits their forms to the school placed, the school uses the information provided on the forms to enroll the candidate. Therefore, it is not possible for a school to get all such personal information of a candidate without the candidate or a representative being present in the school.
READ: BECE Graduates Who Will Miss Free SHS After BECE Results Are Released
9. I was enrolled in a school but my name can no longer be found on their system. What can be done?
If indeed a candidate was enrolled in a particular school but the details can no longer be found on the school’s system, the Head of the school will formally report to the appropriate office for redress. The candidate should not be sent away from the school.
10. The head of the school I want my child/ward to attend says there is space in the school. Can the child be placed there on this basis?
Schools have established ways of communicating to authorities. Placement is done on the basis of the vacancies declared by the schools.
Once those vacancies have been filled by the CSSPS in that school, we are unable to do any further placements in the school.
We hoe this post on the 2023 School Placement has been very informative.