CREP Africa

CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION POLICY (CREP AFRICA) STATEMENT ON THE BAN OF POST-EXAMINATION CELEBRATIONS ON SCHOOL PREMISES BY THE GHANA EDUCATION SERVICE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Centre for Research and Education Policy (CREP Africa) has taken note of the directive by the Ghana Education Service (GES) banning post-examination celebrations involving the presentation of vehicles, money bouquets, and other expensive gifts to Senior High School graduates on school premises.

While CREP Africa appreciates the responsibility of schools to maintain an environment that promotes discipline, equity, and academic excellence, we respectfully disagree with the blanket prohibition of such celebrations. We believe that the focus should be on regulating excesses rather than completely restricting legitimate expressions of parental pride, appreciation, and support.

Education is not only about academic achievement; it is also about recognising effort, perseverance, resilience, and the sacrifices made by students, parents, and guardians. For many families, the completion of Senior High School represents a significant milestone after years of financial, emotional, and social investment. Celebrations and gifts are natural ways through which families acknowledge this achievement.

The argument that such celebrations necessarily create inequality and psychological distress among students requires a more nuanced examination. Inequality in schools is influenced by broader socio-economic realities, including differences in access to resources, learning materials, technology, and opportunities. A ban on visible celebrations does not eliminate these underlying disparities. Instead, education policies should address the root causes of inequality while promoting a culture where students learn to appreciate diverse backgrounds.

Furthermore, the presentation of gifts by parents does not automatically undermine the principle of meritocracy. A student's academic achievement remains a product of personal effort, support systems, and institutional guidance. The success of one student should not be viewed as a threat to another, but rather as an opportunity to inspire ambition and excellence.

CREP Africa believes that the role of schools should be to establish clear guidelines that prevent extravagance, commercialisation, disruption of academic environments, and unhealthy competition. Schools can, for instance, regulate the nature, timing, and manner of celebrations rather than imposing a complete ban.

We are concerned that excessive restrictions may unintentionally weaken the partnership between schools and parents. Parents are important stakeholders in education, and their involvement should be encouraged, provided it aligns with the values of respect, responsibility, and inclusiveness.

Instead of banning such practices, we recommend that the Ghana Education Service:

1. Develop a comprehensive celebration policy that allows recognition of student achievements while preventing unhealthy displays of wealth.

2. Encourage schools to organise inclusive graduation ceremonies where all students are celebrated equally.

3. Promote values education that teaches students resilience, gratitude, humility, and respect for diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

4. Address educational inequalities through improved access to resources rather than restricting expressions of success.

CREP Africa therefore calls for dialogue among the GES, schools, parents, and other stakeholders to develop balanced policies that protect the dignity of all students while preserving the joy and significance of academic milestones.

A society that celebrates achievement responsibly is one that motivates future generations to pursue excellence.

Signed
Centre for Research and Education Policy (CREP Africa)
President
Godwin K. Mileba

CREP Africa has taken note of the communique issued by the Teacher Unions comprising GNAT, NAGRAT, and CCT rejecting the request by the Ghana Education Service (GES) for the submission of staff personal files for the Job Evaluation Exercise.

The Teacher Unions have described the directive as unnecessary and have called on GES to rely on existing staff records available at the various levels of the Service rather than requesting teachers to submit their personal files again.

According to the Unions, the required information for the Job Evaluation Exercise can be extracted from teachers' personal files already available at schools, districts, regions, and the GES headquarters. This position brings back the important question of records management within GES. After years of collecting teachers' documents, why should the same records continue to be requested repeatedly?

Beyond the issue of personal files, the Teacher Unions have raised several outstanding concerns affecting teachers:

1. Delay in the implementation of the Scheme of Service

The Unions expressed concern that the Scheme of Service covering all grades of teaching staff in GES has not been concluded, signed, and implemented despite previous commitments. They argue that this delay affects career progression and professional development opportunities for teachers.

2. Concerns over disregard of directives from the National Labour Commission (NLC)

The Unions raised concerns that some directives and resolutions from the NLC have not been fully implemented by the relevant stakeholders. They believe this undermines confidence in the labour relations process and creates unnecessary tension between employers and employees.

3. Delay in the negotiation and implementation of a new Collective Agreement

The Unions indicated that the existing Collective Agreement was expected to expire and that negotiations for a new agreement had not been completed. They are demanding that the process be concluded to provide clarity and protection for teachers.

4. Promotion of Deputy Directors to Director II and subsequently Director I

The Unions raised concerns about the delay in resolving outstanding issues relating to the promotion of Deputy Directors (DDs) to Director II and subsequently Director I, despite commitments made in the 2024 Collective Agreement.

5. Delayed implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance

The Unions also highlighted concerns regarding the implementation of the Deprived Area Allowance as provided in the Collective Agreement. They are calling for the necessary review and negotiation to ensure teachers serving in deprived communities receive the support due them.

These concerns require urgent attention and genuine engagement among GES, the Ministry of Education, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Public Services Commission, and the Teacher Unions.

While the Job Evaluation Exercise is important, it must not overshadow the broader issues affecting teachers' welfare, career progression, and working conditions.

CREP Africa believes that a sustainable education system is built on dialogue, trust, and efficient systems. GES must also prioritize the modernization of its records management by strengthening GESMIS to create a reliable digital database where teachers' documents can be uploaded, verified, and securely stored.

The future of education administration cannot be built on repeated paperwork. It must be built on accountability, technology, and respect for agreements reached with education workers.

Hon Haruna Iddrisu
Ministry of Education GH

CREP Africa checks indicate that, Ghana Education Service (GES) has made a U-turn through a new communique directing teaching and non-teaching staff to submit all required documents in one PDF file to their respective District Education Offices. The District Offices will then compile and submit the documents by schools to the Regional Directorates, which will finally forward them to the national headquarters.

We believe this adjustment reflects the concerns raised by stakeholders, including the strong public outcry by CREP Africa regarding the earlier approach of transporting huge volumes of physical documents across the country. Listening to concerns and improving systems is a sign of responsible leadership.

However, this development also brings another important issue to the forefront. Reports indicate that some teachers are choosing not to comply with the directive to submit their documents, following concerns and positions taken by their teacher unions. This situation raises questions about the relationship between teachers and their professional associations.

Teacher unions have historically played a significant role in advocating for the welfare, rights, and interests of teachers. When such associations take a position, it is expected that members will engage, understand, and critically assess the reasons behind those decisions.

The question we must ask is: do some teachers no longer trust their union leadership? Is there a communication gap between union leaders and their members? Or has the confidence of some members in these institutions weakened over time?

Strong unions depend on the trust and cooperation of their members, while effective leadership also requires listening to the concerns and expectations of those they represent. This moment should therefore be an opportunity for honest reflection, dialogue, and rebuilding trust between teachers and their associations.

The ultimate goal should be a system where teachers, unions, and management work together to improve education delivery and create better conditions for all education workers.







Hon Haruna Iddrisu
Ministry of Education GH
TV3 Ghana
Citi 97.3 FM
@

Dear teachers, if you want a strong voice at the table, then support and obey your leaders. Unity is strength.

CREP Africa's attention has been drawn to a letter released by the Ghana Education Service (GES) directing teachers and education staff across the country to submit and compile physical documents as part of the ongoing Job Evaluation Exercise under the proposed Scheme of Service.

While we appreciate the importance of the exercise, we are surprised by the continued dependence on paperwork. Almost every academic year, teachers are asked to submit the same documents repeatedly. This raises serious questions about records management within the Service.

Does GES not keep records of documents previously submitted by teachers? Does GES not have a centralized database? What happens to the thousands of documents collected from teachers year after year?

Teachers have already uploaded their credentials and professional records onto platforms such as GESMIS and the NTC portal. If these systems exist, why should teachers still be required to go through the stress and expense of photocopying, compiling, and resubmitting documents that should already be available in the system?

We are equally concerned about the logistics involved in this exercise. District offices will have to compile and transport huge volumes of documents to the regional offices, which will in turn forward these mountains of paperwork to the national headquarters. One cannot help but ask: what happens to all these documents when they arrive at headquarters? Is GES planning to build a warehouse to accommodate the enormous quantity of paper records that will be generated from this exercise?

In an era of digital transformation, this approach appears inefficient, costly, and environmentally unfriendly. The resources spent on printing, photocopying, transportation, storage, and handling could be significantly reduced through a robust digital system.

GES should rather focus on enhancing the GESMIS platform to enable teachers to upload, update, and verify their documents electronically whenever necessary. A well integrated digital platform would eliminate unnecessary paperwork, reduce administrative costs, improve efficiency, and make information readily available to authorized officers at the district, regional, and national levels.

The Job Evaluation Exercise is important, but it should also serve as a wake up call for GES to strengthen its digital infrastructure and build a reliable database that reduces the need for repeated requests for the same documents.

A modern education service deserves a modern records management system.

Visit us on: http://www.crepafrica.org

Hon Haruna Iddrisu
Eric Edem Agbana
Ministry of Education GH
TV3 Ghana
Citi 97.3 FM
Godwin K. Mileba

OFFICIAL UPDATE

The fully funded Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Workshop initiated by Hon. Eric Edem Agbana in partnership with CREP Africa is currently in progress at Tadzewu R.C. for teachers within the Tadzewu enclave.

Representing CREP Africa at the program this morning were Dogba Abraham , Editor, and Valentine Mensah Hope , Director for Policy and Advocacy, who joined participants in demonstrating their organisation’s commitment to teacher capacity building and educational advancement in Ketu North.

Facilitation of the session is being led by Bismark Tay , whose engagement and expertise continue to enrich the learning experience for participants.

fans
Ghana Education Service
Ministry of Education GH
Hon Haruna Iddrisu
CAMFED - Campaign for Female Education
Pencils Of Promise
TV3 Ghana

Hon. Eric Edem Agbana, in partnership with CREP Africa, is pleased to announce a fully funded educational program for all teachers in Ketu North.

Special provisions have been made for:
• Basic School Teachers
• JHS Teachers
• SHS Teachers
• Teachers in Administration

The program officially begins tomorrow at Tadzewu R.C.

All teachers within the constituency are encouraged to participate and take advantage of this important professional development opportunity.

Thousands of Ghanaian teachers are celebrating promotions following the 2025 GES examination results, but beneath the excitement lies a difficult reality. Many promoted teachers still face poor working conditions, modest salary increases, and economic hardship despite attaining senior ranks.

CREP Africa argues that teacher promotions must go beyond titles and translate into meaningful improvements in welfare, dignity, and professional conditions.

Are Ghanaian Teachers Truly Advancing? The Reality Behind GES Promotions Thousands of Ghanaian teachers are celebrating promotions following the 2025 GES examination results, but beneath the excitement lies a difficult reality. Many promoted teachers still face poor working conditions, modest salary increases, and economic hardship despite attaining senior ranks. CREP-Af...

Many BECE candidates were found with mobile phones. - John Kapi (Head of Public Affairs, WAEC)

Must the Ghana Education Service always frustrate teachers before taking them seriously? How do you proudly announce the release of promotional examination results when the very portal teachers are supposed to use is inaccessible because the system has collapsed?

After keeping teachers in suspense for close to six months, GES still failed to fix basic technical issues before releasing the results. Is this not sheer incompetence and disregard for teachers’ time, effort, and mental stress? The least GES could have done was communicate properly through SMS or official notices as they normally do.

Teachers are treated as though they do not matter, yet they remain the backbone of the education system. This poor planning, weak communication, and constant neglect of teachers’ concerns is disgraceful and deeply disappointing. Teachers deserve respect, efficiency, and professionalism — not excuses and frustration at every turn.

Hon Haruna Iddrisu
Eric Edem Agbana
Ministry of Education GH
Citi 97.3 FM
TV3 Ghana
John Dramani Mahama