The Abia State Government has announced that graduation ceremonies will now only be permitted for pupils completing Primary 6 and SS3, declaring that such ceremonies will no longer be allowed in nursery schools.
The government clarified that the ban applies to both public and private schools in Abia, stressing that the decision was aimed at reducing the financial pressure on parents.
The new policy was disclosed by the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti.
He explained that the decision followed consultations with stakeholders in the state’s education sector.
Also speaking at the briefing, Abia State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Goodluck Ubochi, said nursery pupils and children in lower classes did not need graduation ceremonies that compel parents to spend heavily.
Ubochi further announced the separation of textbooks from workbooks to allow younger siblings reuse textbooks previously used by their seniors, while workbooks remain unique to each child.
The government also directed parents to ensure they collect their children’s basic education certificates, noting that many schools had complained that First School Leaving Certificates were often abandoned.
To address this, schools have been instructed not to charge more than N2,000 for Primary 6 certificates.
Furthermore, the government made it compulsory for students enrolling for WAEC, NECO, or JAMB to present their basic education certificates, warning that no candidate will be admitted into SS3 without passing a state-organised mandatory promotion exam at SS2.
