The Osun State Ministry of Education has announced a ban on graduation ceremonies for Nursery and Kindergarten pupils across public and private schools in the state. The new policy, effective immediately, aims to curb the rising commercialization of early childhood education and reduce the financial burden on parents.
In a circular issued by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. M.A.K. Jimoh, and addressed to key stakeholders in the education sector—including commissioners, executive secretaries, directors, school associations, and parent-teacher groups—the Ministry expressed concern over the increasingly elaborate nature of these events.
“While we appreciate efforts to celebrate educational milestones, the current trend has raised serious concerns regarding the financial burden on parents, loss of valuable instructional time, and the commercialization of early childhood education,” the circular read.
Going forward, graduation ceremonies and parties are only permitted for two categories of students:
Primary 6 pupils
Senior Secondary School 3 (SSS3) students
The Ministry emphasized that this measure is part of a broader effort to focus on academic achievements at the end of key educational cycles, rather than on early stages of learning where such celebrations are deemed unnecessary.
In addition to the policy on graduation ceremonies, the Ministry also rolled out new directives regarding textbook usage in both public and private schools. According to the circular, proprietors of private and faith-based schools must adhere to an approved list of textbooks, which are to remain in use for a minimum of three years. This approach, the Ministry said, is intended to encourage textbook reuse among siblings and reduce annual costs for families.
Furthermore, schools have been directed to stop using workbooks that are embedded within textbooks, as these limit the reuse potential of learning materials.
Monitoring teams will be deployed to ensure compliance. Schools found violating any part of the new policies risk facing disciplinary actions, including fines or suspension of registration.
The Ministry concluded by calling for the full cooperation of all stakeholders to uphold the integrity and purpose of education in the state.
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