Catholic Bishops Call for Independent Review of SHS Placement System, Demand Probe into Alleged Bribes.
ACCRA – The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called for a full independent review of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) amid growing public anxiety over the ongoing Senior High School placement exercise.
In a statement issued on Monday, September 15, 2026, and signed by its President, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the Conference said the annual placement process continues to generate “anxiety, disappointment and allegations of unfairness among students, parents and the wider public.”
The bishops said the review has become urgent as the September 18 reporting deadline approaches, with more than 20,000 students still without school places.
The Conference said it is particularly troubled by reports that parents are being asked to pay money to secure placements for their wards.
“If placement is meant to be free, no official, agent, or intermediary should request or accept payment for it,” the bishops stated.
They demanded that the allegations be thoroughly investigated and that anyone found culpable face disciplinary action and, where evidence warrants it, criminal prosecution.
They however cautioned that unproven accusations should not be allowed to tarnish honest public servants.
The bishops also demanded transparency on so-called “protocol” admissions in highly sought-after schools.
“If places in sought-after schools are set aside through discretionary arrangements, the public deserves to know their legal basis, the number of places involved, the criteria applied, and who is responsible,” they said.
They warned that “No placement system can inspire confidence if parents believe that money, connections, or influence can secure places unavailable to more deserving but less privileged children.”
In the same statement, the Conference reiterated a resolution from the 2025 National Catholic Education Forum in Koforidua that 20 per cent of annual admissions into Catholic mission schools be reserved for Catholic students.
The bishops said the arrangement would allow the Church to maintain a meaningful number of students who can participate in the religious and moral formation central to mission schools, and would be administered transparently by Boards of Governors and diocesan education secretariats with annual audits.
The Ghana Education Service has announced that 604,567 candidates qualified for placement this year, with 527,932 automatically placed in the initial release.
