The Bishops in a procession to the Conference Hall to commence their meeting
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14th November, 2011
ABOLISH CSSPS, RESTORE 4-YEAR SHS - Catholic Bishops
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference at the end of its conference in Takoradi at the weekend identified three key areas on which it demanded the government to take urgent action.
In a communiqué, the bishops called for the abolition of the Computerised Selection of Schools and Placement System (CSSPS), restore the four-year system of Senior High School and ensure that the Electoral Commission (EC) implement a new biometric voting register and procure all the equipment
necessary to authenticate the identity of voters.
The nine-page communiqué which climaxed the annual plenary assembly held under the theme: Good Governance for Peace” explained that after years of experimenting with the CSSPS, “we think that the time has come to abolish this system and replace it with a workable alternative.”
They said seven weeks into the first term, most students were still at home waiting to know which schools to attend, adding that there appears to be more corruption, confusion and inefficiency in the system than, the former one.
The communiqué, read by conference President, Most Rev. Joseph Osei-Bonsu, said the use of the internet to know in which schools students are placed further complicated the process, especially for students who had no ready access to this service.
It observed that the massive failure of pupils in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the appalling performance in the CSSPS this year indicated that the government was still not listening to the people, resulting in a quiet but growing public anger about the politicization of education in the country.
The communiqué asked the government to maintain the four year system of Senior High for some time to know its full benefits and disadvantages before “we decide whether to make any changes or switch to another system”.
The Bishops commended the government for the release of funds to enable the EC implement a new biometric voting register as the country seeks to advance the course of democracy through transparent, fair and free elections.
They “urged both government and EC to procure all the necessary equipment to authenticate the identity of voters since to a large extent, the peace prevailing in the country would depend on transparent, free and fair elections”.
The communique called on political parties to learn to trust and help the EC to deliver on its mandate and to come out clearly to inform Ghanaians what the biometric register is about and how it functions.
This would enable Ghanaians to give their input to enrich the process and to dispel the ignorance, not only with the biometric register but also about their rights and obligations as citizens.
The communiqué stressed the need for the establishment of a political framework for the efficient management of post election and transfer of political power from one administration to another.
“There is no doubt that the Fourth Republic has witnessed the successful change in government through the transfer of political authority from one political party to another but unfortunately these transitions have been characterized by administrative lapses, controversies and acrimonies with regard to management of assets and resources”, it said.
The communiqué challenged the leadership of political parties, as key stakeholders to be guided by a high sense of integrity and national pride to uphold high standards and values that would enhance good governance and democracy.
In a communiqué, the bishops called for the abolition of the Computerised Selection of Schools and Placement System (CSSPS), restore the four-year system of Senior High School and ensure that the Electoral Commission (EC) implement a new biometric voting register and procure all the equipment
necessary to authenticate the identity of voters.
The nine-page communiqué which climaxed the annual plenary assembly held under the theme: Good Governance for Peace” explained that after years of experimenting with the CSSPS, “we think that the time has come to abolish this system and replace it with a workable alternative.”
They said seven weeks into the first term, most students were still at home waiting to know which schools to attend, adding that there appears to be more corruption, confusion and inefficiency in the system than, the former one.
The communiqué, read by conference President, Most Rev. Joseph Osei-Bonsu, said the use of the internet to know in which schools students are placed further complicated the process, especially for students who had no ready access to this service.
It observed that the massive failure of pupils in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the appalling performance in the CSSPS this year indicated that the government was still not listening to the people, resulting in a quiet but growing public anger about the politicization of education in the country.
The communiqué asked the government to maintain the four year system of Senior High for some time to know its full benefits and disadvantages before “we decide whether to make any changes or switch to another system”.
The Bishops commended the government for the release of funds to enable the EC implement a new biometric voting register as the country seeks to advance the course of democracy through transparent, fair and free elections.
They “urged both government and EC to procure all the necessary equipment to authenticate the identity of voters since to a large extent, the peace prevailing in the country would depend on transparent, free and fair elections”.
The communique called on political parties to learn to trust and help the EC to deliver on its mandate and to come out clearly to inform Ghanaians what the biometric register is about and how it functions.
This would enable Ghanaians to give their input to enrich the process and to dispel the ignorance, not only with the biometric register but also about their rights and obligations as citizens.
The communiqué stressed the need for the establishment of a political framework for the efficient management of post election and transfer of political power from one administration to another.
“There is no doubt that the Fourth Republic has witnessed the successful change in government through the transfer of political authority from one political party to another but unfortunately these transitions have been characterized by administrative lapses, controversies and acrimonies with regard to management of assets and resources”, it said.
The communiqué challenged the leadership of political parties, as key stakeholders to be guided by a high sense of integrity and national pride to uphold high standards and values that would enhance good governance and democracy.
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