Abolished 30% Priority Placement System In Favour Of A Merit-based System For All Students- Private Schools Owners Fumes

By Joseph Nana Yaw Cobbina

At a joint statement by the heads of private schools to protest against government over the 30% priority placement system to thrives on their rights and freedom.

Speaking at a news conference held in Accra, to address their concerns, Pro.Damasus Tuurosong, hinted that when the rights of children are violated; when a section of the Ghanaian child is discriminated against, everyone must be concerned.

According to him, the significant roles the non-state sector plays in providing quality education to many underserved communities.

By prioritizing public school students for the limited spaces in top-tier SHSs, the 30% placement system undermines the principle of equal opportunity and meritocracy that should guide the educational service provision. It also undermines the values of fairness and equal access that are fundamental to inclusive education.

He mentioned that every Ghanaian child, regardless of whether he/she attended public or private school, deserves an equal chance of accessing public SHSs.

He emphasized that over the past four years, GNAPS, GNACOPS and other partners have tried unsuccessfully to dissuade the MOE and GES from implementing this discriminatory system of placement.

Prof. Tuurosong stressed that several meetings with various ministers of education have proved futile. This explains why we’re now exploring the legal rout. On 8th November, they presented a petition to CHRAJ detailing their abhorrence to the operationlization of a system that undermines private students rights to fair and merit-based access; a system that punishes patients for making great sacrifices to ensure that their children have quality education.

According to him, penalizing students for attending private schools contradicts the aim of providing equal educational opportunities to all.

“We request an immediate abolition of the 30% priority placement policy in favour of a merit‐based system for all students” he appealed.

Meanwhile Obenfo Nana Kwasi Gyetuah stated that in light of Article 25(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which unequivocally affirms that ” Every person shall have the right, at his own expense, to establish and maintain a private school or schools at all levels and of such categories and in accordance with such categories.