Ondo State Government has banned graduation parties for nursery and junior secondary school students.
Gatekeepers News reports that this was revealed in a statement on Wednesday by Bisi Lawani, press officer at the state’s education ministry.
The directive was conveyed by Commissioner Igbekele Ajibefun during a stakeholder meeting with proprietors and proprietresses across the state’s 18 local government areas.
Ajibefun explained that the new policy is intended to cut down unnecessary expenses for parents and place greater emphasis on academic achievement at the end of primary and secondary school cycles.
He also announced that illegal and unregistered schools would no longer be allowed to operate, adding that the government is preparing to re-accredit all private schools to ensure quality standards.
The commissioner said, “It is obvious that things have gone bad in the education sector; there are urgent issues we need to address so that we can bring back the lost glory.”
The move places Ondo in line with Benue and Imo states, which recently introduced similar measures.
On August 17, Imo’s Commissioner for Education, Bernard Ikegwuoha, in a memo dated August 15, directed that only Primary 6 and Senior Secondary School students are permitted to hold graduation ceremonies in accordance with Nigeria’s 6-3-3-4 education system.
Likewise, on August 21, Helen Nambativ, Permanent Secretary at Benue’s education ministry, announced a ban on graduation parties traditionally held for kindergarten, nursery, and basic school pupils.
