The Ghana Education Service (GES) has warned that headmasters and administrators who allow post-examination celebrations involving expensive gifts and flamboyant displays on school premises risk being removed from office.

The Director-General of the GES, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, made this known on Monday, June 22, during a press briefing.

He stressed that the service was not opposed to parents and guardians celebrating the achievements of their wards but was concerned about ostentatious displays within school environments.

“Management is not against the practice of parents and guardians celebrating the achievements of their children or work; management is against the practice of such ostentatious displays by parents on school premises,” he said.

He added that while school culture continues to evolve, such practices do not reflect the values the Service seeks to promote.

“Although we appreciate that school culture evolves, we wish to state that this is not a kind of school culture the Service and many guardians support,” he stated.

Prof. Davis further announced that, henceforth, post-examination celebrations involving lavish presentations such as the gifting of motor vehicles to students are strictly prohibited on school premises.

“In order to ensure that this practice does not gain roots in the school culture, management wishes to inform the general public that henceforth post-examination celebrations that are characterised by lavish presentation of items, such as motor vehicles to students, are prohibited on school premises,” he said.

He explained that parents who wish to celebrate their children in such extravagant ways are free to do so at home.

The directive follows instructions from the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, to the Director-General of the GES, banning all flamboyant post-examination celebrations and graduation ceremonies until further notice.

“Following the directive by the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, to the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, all post-examination flamboyant celebrations and graduation ceremonies are banned under further notice,” he noted.

Prof. Davis cautioned that heads of schools who fail to enforce the directive will face sanctions.

“Heads of schools who allow post-examination flamboyant celebrations and the organisation of graduation ceremonies on their campus will be sanctioned,” he warned.

He added that all regional directors have been instructed to ensure strict compliance with the directive.

According to him, the policy is intended to preserve fairness in schools.

“We believe that schools are designed to promote social equalisers where merit and personal effort take priority over economic status,” he said.