The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, has stirred debate with his assertion that the annual chaos surrounding the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) is not caused by a shortage of space but by parents and students insisting on only elite schools.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, September 27, 2025, Mr. Asare stated that although government has enough room to admit all 590,000 qualified students, the real problem lies in unrealistic preferences.
“The government of Ghana has adequate spaces to accommodate all 590k or so candidates who have qualified for placement. What the Government of Ghana does not have is the taste of all the 590k students,” he said.
Mr. Asare argued that despite the existence of over 700 Senior High Schools nationwide, most candidates and their parents chase fewer than 100 Category A and B schools, creating unnecessary tension.
“Everybody wants to attend a good Category A and Category B school. You have about 700 plus Senior High Schools and then you have people chasing about 100 schools. So these issues will continue to emerge so far as there are resource deficits,” he noted.
He added that parental resentment toward placements deemed “less prestigious” was now a normal feature of the system.
According to him, the problem has less to do with access and more to do with perception. He warned that unless the infrastructure gap between schools is narrowed — and the obsession with “top-tier brands” is addressed — CSSPS controversies will keep resurfacing.
“There will definitely be some dis-equilibrium between the expectation of candidates, parents on one side and government’s ability to provide education to their taste,” he stressed.
