GES Bans Flamboyant Post-Exam Celebrations and Graduation Ceremonies in Public Schools
The Ghana Education Service, GES, has banned what it describes as flamboyant celebrations and graduation ceremonies across all public schools in Ghana.
Addressing the press on June 22, 2026, the Director-General of the GES, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, said schools are designed to be social equalisers where merit and personal effort take priority over economic status.
However, he observed that the current trend creates visible socio-economic divisions and shifts the focus from academic achievement to financial privilege.
According to him, such displays can cause psychological distress among students whose parents are unable to compete in flamboyant celebrations.
“While management is not against parents and guardians celebrating the achievements of their children or wards, management is against ostentatious displays by parents on school premises. This is not the kind of school culture the service and many Ghanaians support,” he said.
“In order to ensure that this practice does not take root in the school culture, management wishes to inform the general public that henceforth, post-examination celebrations characterised by lavish presentations of items such as motor vehicles to students are prohibited on school premises. Parents who wish to do so can do so at home.”
He said the ban will remain in full force until further notice.
Prof. Davis charged heads of schools to ensure the ban is observed, warning that anyone who fails to comply will be sanctioned.
“We have asked heads to make sure it doesn’t happen. In other words, we want to change the situation. If they cannot change the situation, the situation will change them. If they can’t, I will remove them and bring in someone who can enforce discipline. The sanction could include removing them from office and appointing those who can instil the discipline we want on our campuses,” he said.
The GES boss further announced the establishment of a committee to review all celebrations on school premises, including speech and prize-giving days, to develop guidelines for standardisation.
“This will help address challenges associated with some of these celebrations. The rationale for this directive is to tell parents, guardians, and all Ghanaians that excessive show of wealth is not the kind of value the GES wants to project and prioritise among students,” he said.
The ban affects only public schools.
“We haven’t actually had reports involving private schools, but if we investigate and see that it is widespread, we will make sure that it doesn’t become part of our school culture. We will look into what the private schools are doing,” Prof. Davis added.
Story by Hajara Fuseini
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