No More SHS Graduations: Nationwide Suspension Follows Wild Student Celebrations

The Ministry of Education has suspended all senior high school graduation ceremonies nationwide pending a review of existing guidelines after recent post-examination celebrations in some schools sparked public debate over displays of wealth.

The directive was announced in a statement issued on Saturday, June 20, 2026 by the ministry.

It said the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, had directed the Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to halt all SHS graduation ceremonies across the country with immediate effect.

According to the Ministry, the suspension will remain in force until the guidelines governing the organisation of graduation ceremonies are reviewed.

The decision comes a day after the GES banned the presentation of expensive gifts, including motor vehicles and money bouquets, on school premises.

The GES warned that heads of schools who permit such activities would face sanctions.

While the GES directive sought to regulate activities associated with post-examination celebrations, the Ministry’s latest intervention extends to the suspension of graduation ceremonies pending the review.

The two directives followed the circulation of videos on social media showing parents presenting expensive gifts to their children on school grounds after the completion of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

One of the videos showed a mother presenting her daughter, a student of Yaa Asantewaa Girls’ Senior High School, with a vehicle and a money bouquet on the school premises while fellow students celebrated around her.

Another video showed a mother surprising her daughter at Serwaa Nyarko Girls’ Senior High School in Kumasi with a vehicle.

The Ministry said it had taken note of growing public concern about what it described as increasing displays of wealth and flamboyance during graduation ceremonies in some senior high schools.

“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.

In its earlier directive, the GES said such displays on school premises could create socio-economic divisions among students, draw attention away from academic achievement and place pressure on students whose families may not be able to afford similar gifts.

“Schools are designed to promote social equalizers where merit and personal effort take priority over economic status,” the GES statement said.

Both the Ministry and the GES said they were not opposed to parents celebrating the achievements of their children but objected to displays they believe undermine the values schools are expected to promote

The move also comes after the Ghana Police Service appealed to final year students on June 18, 2026, to celebrate responsibly, citing reports of indiscipline and violence linked to post-examination activities in some parts of the country.

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The Ministry said graduation ceremonies would remain suspended until the review of the guidelines is completed.

It added that school activities must reflect discipline, responsibility and the broader objectives of Ghana’s education system.

Source: Graphic Online.com