“This practice can be financially burdening for parents and undermine the quality of education.”
The Imo State government has banned graduation parties in nursery and junior secondary schools, citing the financial strain on parents. The Commissioner for Education, Professor Bernard Ikegwuoha, disclosed the directive in a memo to parents and school proprietors at the weekend.
According to the new policy, only Primary 6 and Senior Secondary 3 students will be permitted to hold graduation ceremonies, in line with the 6-3-3-4 education system. “Graduation ceremonies and parties for Kindergarten, Nursery and Junior Secondary School 3 students are hereby abolished,” the Commissioner stated.
The memo, dated August 15, 2025, also directed schools to stop the yearly change of textbooks, insisting that approved texts must be used for a minimum of four years. Ikegwuoha warned that frequent changes were financially burdensome and deprived siblings the chance to reuse books.
The Commissioner explained that the measures were introduced to promote efficiency and consistency in the state’s education sector while reducing unnecessary costs for parents.