The Imo State Government has outlawed graduation ceremonies for kindergarten, nursery, and Junior Secondary School 3 pupils, declaring them unnecessary and exploitative.
In a memo dated 15 August, Commissioner for Education Prof. Bernard Ikegwuoha said graduations would henceforth only be held for Primary 6 and Senior Secondary 3 pupils, in line with Nigeria’s 6-3-3-4 education system.
The directive also banned the annual change of textbooks, stating that books must have a minimum four-year lifespan to reduce parents’ financial burden. Schools were warned not to deviate from the approved list.
Ikegwuoha explained that the measures would stop exploitative practices, reduce costs for families, and focus attention on learning outcomes.
