The Akrofuom Education Projects Coordinator has expressed concern over the growing trend of extravagant and sometimes reckless celebrations following the completion of Senior High School (SHS) in Ghana, calling for immediate corrective action.

Victor Owusu, popularly known as Hon. Kwaku Citizen, a youth activist and education enthusiast, noted that while students deserve to celebrate the successful completion of an important academic phase, the increasing culture of luxury car gifts, lavish parties, street processions, and social media-driven spectacles is distorting the true meaning of education and success.

According to him, completing SHS is a commendable milestone, but it is not the peak of one’s educational journey. He warned that when this stage is overly glorified, it risks creating a mindset where success is measured by material rewards rather than character, discipline, and continuous personal development.

Victor Owusu further expressed concern about some parents who sponsor expensive celebrations and gift vehicles to their children upon completion of SHS. While acknowledging that such gestures are often well-intentioned, he said they may unintentionally fuel unhealthy competition, social pressure, and unrealistic expectations among young people.

He emphasized that SHS graduation celebrations can still be meaningful when done in a modest and dignified manner at home with family and loved ones. Simple gestures such as a shared meal, words of encouragement, and prayers for the future, he said, are sufficient to mark the occasion without encouraging excess or social comparison.

“What matters most is the recognition of effort and guidance for the next stage of life, not the scale of the celebration,” he stressed.

To curb the growing trend, Victor Owusu is calling on stakeholders to take decisive action. He urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) to take immediate steps to discourage and regulate excessive post-SHS celebrations, particularly those that promote indiscipline, materialism, and public disorder.

He also called for schools to strengthen values-based education, parents to prioritize long-term investments in their children’s future over extravagant rewards, and youth influencers to promote responsible narratives that emphasize humility, purpose, and personal development.

He concluded that while celebration is important, it must remain grounded in discipline and meaning, adding that society must ensure young people are celebrated not only for completing school but also for the values and vision they carry into the future.