The Ghana Education Service (GES) has warned that headteachers and administrators who permit post-examination celebrations involving expensive gifts and flamboyant displays on school premises will be relieved of their duties.
The Director-General of the GES, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, announced this on Monday, June 22, during a press briefing.
He clarified that the service does not oppose parents and guardians celebrating their children’s achievements but is 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 evolves, these 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.
Professor Davis stressed that post-examination celebrations involving lavish presentations, such as gifting motor vehicles to students, are strictly prohibited on school premises. Parents wishing to celebrate in such an extravagant manner are free to do so at home.
“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.
“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.
“Heads of schools who allow post-examination flamboyant celebrations and the organisation of graduation ceremonies on their campus will be sanctioned,” he warned.
All regional directors have been instructed to ensure strict compliance with the directive, which aims 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.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
