The Ghana Education Service (GES) has banned lavish post-examination celebrations on Senior High School (SHS) campuses, warning that school heads who permit such activities will face sanctions. The directive follows growing concerns over parents presenting expensive gifts, including cars and money bouquets, to final-year students on school grounds after completing their examinations.
GES Moves To Stop Lavish SHS Graduation Celebrations
In a statement dated June 19 and signed by GES Public Relations Officer Daniel Fenyi, the Service said it had observed an emerging trend of parents and guardians organising extravagant celebrations on school premises to mark their children’s completion of SHS.
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According to the GES, these celebrations often involve the presentation of costly gifts such as motor vehicles and cash bouquets, creating displays that it considers inappropriate for the school environment.
While acknowledging that parents have every right to celebrate the achievements of their children, the Service stressed that such celebrations should not take place in a manner that promotes wealth and privilege on school campuses.
“As management is not against the practice of parents and guardians celebrating the achievement of their children or wards, management is against the practice of such ostentatious displays by parents on school premises,” the statement said.
Why GES Is Concerned About SHS Graduation Celebrations
The GES argued that schools are meant to be spaces where merit, effort and academic achievement are valued above economic status.
According to the Service, highly public displays of wealth risk creating visible divisions among students and may negatively affect those whose families are unable to afford similar gestures.
The statement explained that such acts could shift attention away from educational achievement and instead place undue emphasis on financial privilege.
“Schools are designed to promote social equalisers where merit and personal effort take priority over economic status,” the GES stated.
It further noted that ostentatious displays of wealth could contribute to psychological distress among students whose parents are unable to match such expensive celebrations.
School Heads Face Sanctions
To prevent the trend from becoming entrenched in school culture, the GES announced that all post-examination celebrations involving lavish presentations, particularly motor vehicles and other expensive gifts, are now prohibited on school premises.
The Service also issued a strong warning to heads of schools.
“Heads of schools who allow this practice on their campus will be sanctioned,” the statement cautioned.
The directive effectively places responsibility on school administrators to enforce the ban and ensure that campuses remain focused on education rather than displays of wealth.
Growing Debate Over School Campus Celebrations
The move comes amid increasing public discussion about the growing trend of elaborate graduation celebrations in some Ghanaian schools.
In recent years, social media videos showing students receiving luxury gifts, including vehicles and large sums of money, have generated mixed reactions. While some have viewed the gestures as rewards for academic achievement, others have expressed concern about the pressure such displays may place on students and families from less privileged backgrounds.
The GES believes the new directive will help preserve the inclusive nature of schools and prevent unnecessary socio-economic comparisons among students.
What Happens Next?
The GES is calling on parents, guardians and other stakeholders in the education sector to support the directive and help maintain an environment where academic success is celebrated without creating divisions among students.
With the new policy now in force, schools across the country are expected to ensure that graduation-related celebrations remain modest and do not involve extravagant gift presentations on campus.
