The Ministry of Education has urged parents, guardians and members of the public to report anyone demanding money in connection with the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
Press Secretary to the Minister for Education, Hashmin Mohammed, made the call during an interview on the JoyNews News Desk programme on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, amid renewed concerns over allegations of payments being demanded to secure school placements.
Mr Mohammed reiterated the Ministry’s position that placement is based strictly on merit and that no parent, guardian or student is required to pay money to secure a placement.
“As we have stated in the press statement that we have issued, placement is based on merit. No parent, no guardian, or a student need not pay any money to any Ministry of Education official,” he said.
He stressed that no payment should be made to officials of the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Ghana TVET) or the CSSPS in exchange for placement.
Mr Mohammed urged anyone who encounters a person demanding money for placement to report the matter to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
“If you encounter anyone demanding that money, we want to encourage the general public to report such a person to the appropriate law enforcement agency so that such people can be dealt with,” he said.
He acknowledged that allegations of payments for school placements continue to emerge but said the Ministry faces challenges investigating such claims when complainants or people with relevant information fail to provide evidence or cooperate with investigators.
According to him, the Ministry cannot effectively address the issue without the cooperation of the public.
“The Ministry of Education alone will not be able to deal with this issue until the general public also cooperates with us,” he added.
Mr Mohammed therefore called on members of the public to provide concrete information and evidence whenever they encounter or report alleged demands for payment.
“We need the cooperation of the general public,” he stressed.
He said successful investigations and prosecutions would help demonstrate the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring fairness and transparency in the placement process.
“All the time when this issue comes, we make the call. We have interest in that issue because we just need people to use them as an example to demonstrate to the country or to demonstrate to parents and guardians how committed we are to the fairness of the system,” he said.
The Ministry has consequently encouraged parents and guardians to report any demands for payment during the placement process rather than rely solely on unverified claims.
By:Rachael Djabakie