The Ministry of Education has ordered the immediate suspension of all senior high school graduation ceremonies across the country as government moves to address growing concerns over lavish celebrations and displays of wealth on school campuses.
The directive, announced in a statement issued on Saturday, June 20, follows recent incidents in which students were presented with luxury gifts, including vehicles and money bouquets, after completing the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
According to the Ministry, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has instructed the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to halt all graduation ceremonies pending a review of the existing guidelines governing such events.
“The Ministry strongly condemns any conduct by students, parents, guardians, or other stakeholders that promotes extravagance and detracts from the true purpose of school ceremonies,” the statement said.
The suspension comes barely a day after the Ghana Education Service announced a ban on the presentation of expensive gifts, including cars and money bouquets, on school premises during post-examination celebrations.
GES warned that heads of schools who permit such activities would face sanctions.
The education authorities say the measures are intended to preserve the values of discipline, equality and academic achievement within the country’s educational institutions.
In its earlier directive, the GES argued that the growing trend of displaying expensive gifts on school campuses risks creating social divisions among students.
“Schools are designed to promote social equalizers where merit and personal effort take priority over economic status,” the GES statement said.
Recent videos circulating on social media sparked widespread debate after some parents presented costly gifts to their children on school grounds following the completion of the WASSCE examinations.
One widely shared video showed a mother presenting her daughter, a student of Yaa Asantewaa Girls’ Senior High School, with a vehicle and a money bouquet amid celebrations by fellow students.
Another video captured a parent surprising her daughter with a vehicle at Serwaa Nyarko Girls’ Senior High School in Kumasi.
The Ministry noted that public concern has been mounting over what it described as increasing displays of wealth and flamboyance during school ceremonies.
While both the Ministry and the GES acknowledged the right of parents to celebrate their children’s academic achievements, they stressed that such celebrations should not undermine the values schools are expected to uphold.
The latest intervention also follows an appeal by the Ghana Police Service on June 18, urging final-year students to celebrate responsibly after reports of indiscipline and violence associated with post-examination activities in some parts of the country.
The Ministry indicated that graduation ceremonies will remain suspended until the review of the guidelines is completed.
It further emphasized that school activities must reflect discipline, responsibility and the broader objectives of Ghana’s education system.
