The Ghana Education Service (GES) has warned that headteachers who permit gift presentations and elaborate celebrations on school premises will be held accountable as part of efforts to preserve discipline and promote equality among students.
According to the Service, while parents are free to celebrate the achievements of their children, such activities should not be organised within school compounds.
Speaking on Citi News Digest on Saturday, June 20, the Public Relations Officer of the GES, Daniel Fenyi, said schools must remain environments where all students are treated equally, without distinctions based on social or economic status.
“We are not against it. We are against the fact that it is presented on the school premises. We believe that in the school, there should be classlessness, there shouldn’t be any culture of classism anywhere, in any form or shape,” he stated.
Fenyi cautioned that the growing trend of extravagant gift presentations and celebrations on school campuses could gradually foster class-based divisions among learners if left unchecked.
“We believe some of these ostentatious displays, if not checked, could lead into having classism creep quietly into the school environment,” he added.
He advised parents to organise any surprises or celebrations outside school premises after picking up their children.
“When your child completes school, yes, come to the school premises, pick up your child, and go home. If you have any surprises, give it to them in the house or anywhere else, but not on the premises or the compound of the school,” he said.
The GES spokesperson further stressed that school authorities would bear responsibility for any such activities that occur on their campuses, as they are ultimately in charge of maintaining order within their institutions.
“When you do that, we are going to hold our school heads and leaders accountable. We believe that they determine what happens on the premises of the school, and so they are held accountable to that,” he stated.