By Ayo Kehinde
The Kogi State government has announced a ban on frequent graduation ceremonies in basic and secondary schools, as well as signing-out ceremonies in tertiary institutions.
Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, who disclosed this during a meeting with key stakeholders in the education sector, said the practice of organising multiple graduation events in nursery, primary, and secondary schools had become economically unsustainable.
He explained that the ceremonies placed undue financial pressure on parents while also exposing students to negative social vices associated with such celebrations.
Jones said the ban was aimed at reducing the burden on parents and promoting more meaningful ways of recognising students’ achievements.
The commissioner also unveiled a new policy requiring parents to provide separate notebooks for classwork and assignments, instead of using textbooks as workbooks.
According to him, this will make textbooks reusable by other siblings within the same family.
He added that the new measures take immediate effect, noting that Governor Usman Ododo’s administration remains committed to enforcing the Kogi State Education Law enacted in 2020.
Jones appealed to stakeholders to support the ministry in ensuring smooth enforcement of the new policies.
Meanwhile, participants at the meeting urged the government to recruit more teachers into public schools and set up a committee to regulate textbooks in line with the state’s education standards.
THISAGE recalls that Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and his Edo State counterpart, Monday Okpebholo carried out similar policies in their respective states.
