The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced plans to constitute a committee to review celebrations held on senior high school campuses and develop a uniform framework to regulate such events nationwide.

The initiative, according to GES Director-General Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, is aimed at addressing concerns over the increasing display of affluence during school ceremonies and preserving the values schools are expected to promote.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, June 22, Prof. Davis disclosed that the committee would assess all forms of events organised within school compounds, including speech and prize-giving ceremonies, and propose guidelines to ensure consistency and proper conduct.

He explained that the review has become necessary as some school events are gradually shifting away from their educational purpose and becoming platforms for excessive displays of wealth.

According to him, the Service is determined to ensure that celebrations on school premises reflect the principles of modesty, discipline, and inclusiveness rather than social status and economic privilege.

Prof. Davis noted that the proposed guidelines would provide clear standards for organising school events and help address concerns associated with the growing trend.

He stressed that educational institutions should remain environments where students are encouraged to value hard work, character, and academic achievement rather than material possessions.

The Director-General further indicated that school authorities would be expected to strictly enforce the new measures, while regional directors would be tasked with monitoring compliance across the country.

He also appealed to parents and guardians to support the directive by maintaining modest forms of celebration and avoiding activities that could create unnecessary social distinctions among students.

Prof. Davis called on teachers, school administrators, traditional leaders, parents, the media, and the wider public to support efforts to discourage what he described as an emerging culture of opulence in schools, particularly the presentation of expensive gifts to students during school-based events.

The GES believes the new guidelines will help safeguard the educational values that schools are intended to uphold while ensuring that celebrations remain appropriate and beneficial to the learning environment.