The Ghana Education Service (GES) has cautioned heads of senior high schools against permitting extravagant post-examination celebrations on their campuses, warning that administrators who flout the directive could face disciplinary action, including removal from office.

Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, June 22, Director-General of GES, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, said the Service remains concerned about the growing trend of lavish displays following the completion of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), particularly the presentation of expensive gifts to students on school grounds.

He clarified that GES is not opposed to parents and guardians celebrating the academic achievements of their children but objected to ostentatious events being organised within school premises.

According to Prof. Davis, schools are institutions of learning and character formation, and should not become venues for displays of wealth that could create divisions among students.

He announced that with immediate effect, celebrations involving the presentation of luxury items, including vehicles and other costly gifts, will no longer be permitted on school compounds.

Parents who wish to reward their children in such ways, he noted, are free to do so outside the school environment.

The directive follows a recent order by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, who instructed the Ghana Education Service to halt all flamboyant post-examination festivities and graduation-related events in schools until further notice.

Prof. Davis revealed that regional directors across the country have been tasked with ensuring strict enforcement of the policy and monitoring compliance at all levels.

He warned that school heads who fail to adhere to the directive or permit such activities on their campuses would face sanctions from the Service.

The GES boss explained that the move is intended to preserve the core values of fairness and inclusivity within the education system, stressing that schools must remain environments where academic achievement and personal effort are celebrated above social or economic status.

He added that the Service is determined to prevent the practice from becoming entrenched in the country's school culture, insisting that educational institutions should continue to serve as spaces that promote equal opportunity for all students regardless of their backgrounds.