Police have arrested a man posing as an agent of the Ghana Education Service(GES) at the Free Senior High School (SHS) placement centre in Accra.
He allegedly told a parent that he could assist in securing a school placement for the ward. However, luck eluded him, and he was apprehended on Monday, February 27, 2023.
The Deputy Coordinator for the Free SHS Secretariat, Nana Afrah Sika Mensah, who confirmed the news, said the suspect defrauded a parent of over GH¢1,000.
The suspect carried out the act despite several warnings by the GES.
This comes after an investigative documentary revealed that the Computerized School Selection and Placement System(CSSPS) had been compromised with payment of huge monies to be placed into desired schools, especially grade A and B schools.
The documentary showed some parents, guardians, and officials in charge of school placement making deals to put wards in desired institutions.
Parts of the video, realised in January 2023, showed some parents paying as much as GH¢20,000 to get their children placed in schools, while others paid GH¢8500 to get their children placed in schools of their preference.
In a statement on January 29, 2023, the Ministry of Education advised parents, prospective students and the public against the payment of money to secure school placement.
Madam Sika Mensah reiterated the ministry’s position and advised parents to desist from engaging third parties in the school placement process.
“As we have been saying all this while, let us all be vigilant. We will not use crooked means to place students in schools. Let us be watchful,” she said.