Ghana's Schools Turn into Theatres of Indiscipline as Students Engage in Public Displays of Wealth

Education has long been regarded as society's most powerful instrument for transmitting values, culture, discipline, and responsible citizenship from one generation to another. Schools are not mere centres for academic instruction; they are institutions designed to shape character, instill moral responsibility, and prepare young people for productive adulthood.

However, in recent weeks, Ghanaian social media platforms have been inundated with disturbing videos depicting students engaging in sexual activities on school campuses, vandalizing school property after completing their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), and openly displaying intimate conduct as a form of celebration. Parents are also going overboard, storming school compounds with champagne, cash gifts, luxury vehicles, and public displays of wealth to celebrate their children's completion of secondary education.

The National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTA), an organization whose mandate is to promote responsible parenting and strengthen the home-school partnership, has remained conspicuously silent on the issue.

The disturbing reality is that many students now associate educational success not with scholarship, hard work, innovation, or service, but with visibility and social status. Parents, knowingly or unknowingly, have become active participants in this transformation. Even kindergarten graduations have become elaborate ceremonies requiring expensive costumes and financial contributions from parents.

The phenomenon is not limited to senior high schools. Career Days increasingly resemble fashion exhibitions rather than educational exercises. End-of-term 'Our Day' celebrations, birthday parties on school campuses, and pre-tertiary graduation ceremonies continue to place growing financial burdens on families.

Education is gradually becoming a stage upon which social class is displayed. The danger is that children begin to equate personal worth with material possessions rather than character and achievement.

The normalization of sexual conduct within educational environments is perhaps the most alarming aspect of the recent developments. Schools are expected to provide safe learning spaces where young people can mature under guidance and supervision. However, the public display of sexual activities on campus and social media points to deeper failures in parental supervision, values formation, and school-community collaboration.

The consequences are severe. Beyond the obvious moral concerns, early sexual behaviour among adolescents is associated with increased risks of teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, emotional trauma, school dropout, and long-term mental health challenges. Furthermore, public circulation of sexual videos exposes students to digital exploitation.

Once intimate content enters cyberspace, it can remain accessible indefinitely, affecting future employment opportunities, university admissions, personal relationships, and mental wellbeing. Even more disturbing is the possibility that such exposure attracts predatory adults who exploit vulnerable young people through manipulation, grooming, extortion, or sexual abuse.

The NCPTA cannot afford to remain silent while students are increasingly exposed to these dangers.

The recent trend of spraying money on school compounds, presenting luxury vehicles to teenagers, popping champagne, and organizing extravagant celebrations sends troubling messages to young people. Such actions communicate that social recognition is more important than personal responsibility.

Completion of secondary school, while commendable, is not the pinnacle of achievement. It is merely one stage in a much longer journey. Rewarding students with excessive displays of wealth for completing a basic educational milestone risks distorting their values and understanding of success.

This cultural shift is not only a disciplinary problem, but a worrying sign of the times. It demands the attention of parents, educators, and policymakers to ensure that our educational system remains focused on nurturing values, character, and a sense of purpose in our young people.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has moved swiftly to prohibit such practices on school premises, but the NCPTA's silence remains a disturbing omission.

The NCPTA must speak out against this disturbing trend and work with parents, schools, and policymakers to promote responsible parenting and strengthen the home-school partnership.

The future of our children and the nation as a whole depends on it.

NCPTA's Role in Promoting Responsible Parenting

The National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (NCPTA) is a statutory body responsible for promoting responsible parenting and strengthening the home-school partnership.

However, in recent times, the NCPTA has been criticized for its apparent lack of action on the issue of parental failure, moral decay, and social media excesses in Ghana's schools.

This silence raises serious questions about the organization's fulfillment of its constitutional and moral responsibility to guide parents and protect the welfare of students.

The Consequences of Early Sexual Behaviour

Early sexual behaviour among adolescents is associated with increased risks of teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, emotional trauma, school dropout, and long-term mental health challenges.

In fact, research shows that young people who engage in early sexual activity are more likely to experience negative outcomes, including lower academic achievement, mental health problems, and increased risk of sexual violence.

This is a critical concern, particularly in the context of Ghana's educational system, where students are expected to navigate complex social relationships and academic demands.

The public display of sexual activities on campus and social media has serious consequences for the well-being and future prospects of these students.

By remaining silent on this issue, the NCPTA is failing in its duty to promote responsible parenting and protect the welfare of students.

The recent trend of excessive displays of wealth in celebration of secondary education completion risks distorting students' values and understanding of success.

This cultural shift is not only a disciplinary problem but a worrying sign of the times that demands attention from parents, educators, and policymakers.

Ghana's educational system must remain focused on nurturing values, character, and a sense of purpose in our young people.