Ondo Government Bans Nursery, Primary and JSS Graduation Ceremonies

The Ondo State Government has placed a ban on graduation ceremonies for nursery, primary and junior secondary school students across the state, as part of new reforms aimed at sanitising the education sector.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, announced the decision on Wednesday during a meeting with school proprietors and proprietresses from the 18 local government areas in Akure.

He explained that the move was part of broader efforts to reposition the sector, which also include prohibiting unapproved schools, re-accrediting private schools for quality assurance, and enforcing stricter standards for operations.

“My interactions start with private school owners because the private sector plays a critical role as you are major stakeholders in the education business. It is more serious than any other business. It is obvious that things have gone bad in the education sector; there are urgent issues we need to address so that we can bring back the lost glory,” Ajibefun said.

The commissioner disclosed that schools currently operating illegally would be granted a six-month grace period to obtain approval, while the government reviews the conditions for accreditation to make compliance easier.

“When you run an unapproved school, you are running an illegal business. This administration will not allow illegalities, and that is the reason we are reviewing it. In the next couple of weeks, the new conditions will be rolled out. All private schools operating in the state must meet minimum standards. We are also banning elaborate graduation ceremonies, especially for nursery and JSS classes in the state,” he added.

Ajibefun further warned that schools must seek clearance from the ministry before embarking on excursions, citing rising security concerns nationwide. He also advised proprietors against making extra lessons compulsory, and directed schools to stop exploiting parents with yearly textbook changes, allowing siblings to reuse books instead.

According to him, the government has also begun digitising all schools, and plans are underway to migrate pupils and students to a central digital platform under the Ministry of Education.