Former MP Accuses Mahama of Leaving Haruna Iddrisu to Struggle With Education Challenges
Former Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwah, has questioned whether President John Dramani Mahama is providing Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu with enough support to address the challenges confronting Ghana’s education sector.
Mr Owusu Amankwah suggested that the difficulties surrounding the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) raise questions about the level of government backing available to the Education Minister.
“What is happening in the education system, I don’t want to believe that Mahama deliberately put Haruna Iddrisu in that ministry,” he said.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, the former MP expressed concern over the current school placement exercise, arguing that the challenges represent a setback for the objectives of the CSSPS.
‘We Are Back to Square One’
According to Mr Owusu Amankwah, the CSSPS was introduced to streamline the placement process and minimise the challenges associated with securing secondary school admission.
“The CSSPS was carefully thought through to help avoid such placement issues. What is happening? We are back to square one,” he stated.
He questioned why parents and candidates were being directed towards alternative placement arrangements, including self-placement, after the introduction of the computerised system.
“Parents are now going to placement centres for their wards to be placed in schools. Now they say they want to do self-placement. Then what is the essence of the CSSPS?” he asked.
The former MP argued that such developments undermine the purpose of allowing candidates to indicate their preferred schools before writing their examinations.
Calls for Merit-Based Placement
Mr Owusu Amankwah called for the government to strengthen the merit-based placement system, arguing that it provides a better avenue for fairness and transparency.
“We need to build on the merit-based placement system. At least it can bring some form of fairness and transparency,” he said.
He also expressed concern about the emotional impact of the placement difficulties on students and their families.
“The psychological trauma that the children are going through now could have been avoided,” he stated.
‘Children’s Future Should Be the Priority’
The former MP stressed that education remains critical to Ghana’s development and urged policymakers to prioritise the wellbeing and future of students when addressing the placement challenges.
“Education is key to development, so we should make sure the children’s future wellbeing is our priority,” he said.
He further called for consistency and fairness in the implementation of education policies, cautioning against what he described as selective approaches to justice.
“We should be particular about education and not be doing selective justice. It should be justice for all,” he added.
2026 Placement Challenges
The 2026 CSSPS exercise has generated concerns among parents, students and other stakeholders, with the Education Ministry announcing measures to review aspects of the process following complaints about transparency, fairness and access to placement.
Data released by the Ministry indicates that 527,932 out of 604,567 qualified candidates had been successfully placed, representing 87.3 percent, while 54,985 candidates did not qualify for placement.
The government has since introduced measures, including self-placement, to help address the challenges facing candidates who remain without school placements.
