Indiscriminate Graduation Ceremonies: FG May Sanction Erring Schools

School Proprietors in the habit of organising indiscriminate graduation ceremonies, thereby fleecing parents and guardians, may face sanctions after now.

This is as a result of a latest government policy which frowns at such practice and has given cautionary warnings.

The latest stance is part of the Federal Government’s move to help parents and guardians reduce financial burden associated with their wards’ education at the primary and secondary levels.

The new policy framework, in addition to permitting graduation ceremonies for only pupils and students completing Primary 6, Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3), and Senior Secondary School 3 (SSS3), prioritises the use of standardised, durable textbooks designed to last between four and six years

These are as against the prevailing practice of holding graduation ceremonies for all classes and also authorizing one session-only textbooks.

The latest measures are aimed at reducing the financial burden on parents, improving learning outcomes, and promoting sustainability in schools.

The Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suiwaba Sai’d, who jointly unveiled the new policy said it was part of ongoing reforms to reposition Nigeria’s education sector.

On the approval of the use of standardised, durable textbooks designed to last between four and six years, the two government officials stated:

“This approach is intended to ensure that learning materials can be reused across multiple academic sessions.

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“Under the new framework, textbook revisions must reflect substantive improvements in content rather than minor changes in layout or pagination, thereby extending the lifespan of approved textbooks and ensuring better value for money”,

“This measure is expected to improve quality, reduce market saturation, and simplify textbook selection processes for schools and education authorities.”

According to them, “The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will continue to play a central role in assessing and assuring the quality of instructional materials, working with relevant agencies to ensure that only curriculum-aligned textbooks are approved for use in schools”.

With schools due to resume next week, the new policy is coming as a welcome relief to many parents.

At different encounters before now, many parents had complained  about Indiscriminate Graduation Ceremonies generally, and in particular, the tactical refusal by school owners to permit multiple use of the same prescribed books.

This they do by ensuring that class works are done directlry in the textbook, thereby making it needless to hand over to the next learner.