The Headmaster of Mansoman Senior High School (SHS) in the Ashanti Region, Rev. Nicholas Adu Berko, has called for an end to the categorisation of senior high schools, arguing that the practice influences parents to favour certain institutions during the school placement process.
According to him, the perception that some schools are superior to others is discouraging parents from choosing institutions such as Mansoman SHS, despite the school having the teachers, facilities and capacity needed to provide quality education.
“I am waiting for a day that we’ll not grade these schools again,” Rev. Adu Berko said.
He was speaking to the media at a resolution centre in Kumasi amid concerns over students seeking changes to their school placements following the release of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) results.
Placement changes affect schools
Rev. Adu Berko said Mansoman SHS initially had more than 600 students assigned to the school through the CSSPS, but the number had started declining as some students and parents sought to change their placements to schools they considered more desirable.
“When the placement came, I had almost about 600-plus students on my portal. But between yesterday and today, I have seen that the rate at which we are expecting students to come to the school to give them admissions is not going as it should,” he said.
He said he had received information that several students were at the resolution centre seeking to change their school placements.
“I have gotten information that most of them are here to change their schools to other schools,” he said.
According to the headmaster, the changes were also reflected on the school’s placement portal.
“When you see my portal, a student had an aggregate of 10, and his name is no longer on the portal, meaning the student has changed his or her school,” he explained.
Call to move beyond school categories
Rev. Adu Berko criticised what he described as the continued preference for highly ranked schools, while institutions perceived to be in lower categories are often overlooked.
“I don’t know why parents are still struggling to go to the same Grade A schools while the B and C are neglected,” he said.
He argued that school categorisation should not create the impression that students in certain institutions have access to better teachers or better educational opportunities.
“Mansoman SHS has teachers who are equally good as those in Prempeh College to teach them. Because we are classmates,” he said.
He maintained that the professional competence of teachers should matter more than the reputation or location of the school where they work.
“Because the teachers who are in Kumasi, their classmates are the ones in my school,” he added.
‘It doesn’t mean someone in Mansoman is not intelligent’
The headmaster also challenged the perception that attending a highly regarded school automatically gives a student an advantage over those attending other institutions.
“I attended Opoku Ware School. I am the headmaster of Mansoman SHS. It doesn’t mean that someone in Mansoman is not intelligent, no,” he said.
He stressed that students should have equal opportunities to succeed regardless of the school they attend.
“When we say we’re giving everybody equal opportunities, wherever you are, you should be able to learn,” he said.
Rev. Adu Berko said the reluctance to choose Mansoman SHS was particularly concerning because the school had enough facilities and space to accommodate significantly more students.
“I have a lot of space that can take close to about 800 to 900 students in my school. I have seats, dormitory spaces, beds; I have almost everything that can accommodate students,” he said.
Mansoman says it has capacity for more students
The headmaster said some parents had cited poor road conditions as a reason for seeking alternative placements.
However, he noted that work was underway to improve the roads leading to the school.
“But they don’t want my school because they will give reasons that the roads are not good, and they’re now fixing it,” he said.
Rev. Adu Berko called for a placement system that would allow students and parents to make their choices without being heavily influenced by school rankings or categories.
“Secondly, I am waiting for a day when you allow a child or a parent to choose a school for the child; these centres will not be needed,” he said.
By: Rachael Djabakie