Kogi State government has banned incessant graduation ceremonies in basic and secondary schools, as part of reforms in the education sector.
The decision was announced by the Commissioner for Education, Mr Wemi Jones, during a stakeholders meeting in Lokoja, yesterday.
It also banned “students signing-out” ceremonies in tertiary institutions within and outside the state.
Jones said incessant graduation ceremonies in nursery, primary and secondary schools are prohibited in Kogi with immediate effect.
He noted that the practice has become unaffordable, exerting financial pressure on parents and encouraging social ills linked with such celebrations.
The commissioner said the ban is intended to reduce parents financial burden and encourage more meaningful ways of celebrating pupils and students achievements.
He announced a new policy requiring parents to provide separate notebooks for classwork and assignments, instead of using textbooks as workbooks.
Jones explained that the policy aims to make textbooks reusable by siblings from the same family.
“The use of textbooks as workbooks, especially in private schools, must stop. Parents must provide separate notebooks for their children,” Jones said.
He added that new celebration modalities would be introduced to encourage competition and commitment to studies, without social ills or undue pressure on families.
Jones stressed that pupils must progress through the required classes without skipping grades.
He also announced that writing mock examinations would now be mandatory before registration for the West African Examinations Council, WAEC.
The commissioner said the new policies take immediate effect.
He reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Ahmed Ododo’s administration to enforce the Kogi Education Law, introduced in 2020.
Jones urged stakeholders to support the ministry in ensuring full implementation of the policies and education law.
He also emphasised the need for private schools to comply with regulations and provide quality services.
“We will work together to develop education, reduce the number of out-of-school children and ensure compliance with laws,” he stated.
Jones called on private schools to charge moderate fees while providing quality services to transform education in the state.
Stakeholders at the meeting commended the ministry’s efforts and pledged continuous support for government’s education initiatives.
They, however, urged government to recruit more teachers in public schools and establish a committee to regulate textbooks in line with standards.
The participants include Local Government Education Secretaries, NAPPS, ANCOPPS, SUBEB, and NAPTAN representatives, among others. (NAN)
