The Ghana Education Service (GES) has warned that any headteacher who allows gift presentations on school campuses will be held accountable, as part of efforts to maintain discipline and equality within schools.
Speaking on Citi News Digest on Saturday, June 20, Public Relations Officer of the GES, Daniel Fenyi, said while the Service is not against parents celebrating their wards’ achievements, such activities must not take place on school premises.
He explained that schools must remain neutral environments where all students are treated equally, cautioning that gift presentations and ostentatious celebrations could introduce class distinctions among learners.
“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 said.
Fenyi warned that if the practice is not checked, it could gradually normalize class-based divisions within schools.
“We believe some of these ostentatious displays, if not checked, could lead into having classism creep quietly into the school environment,” he stated.
He advised parents to conduct any post-examination or graduation celebrations outside school premises.
“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.
He added that school authorities would be held accountable for permitting such activities, as they oversee activities 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 added.
The GES position comes amid growing public debate over the increasing trend of elaborate gift presentations and celebrations for students on school campuses after examinations and graduation events.
