Ondo State has joined the list of states in the country that have banned graduation ceremonies for nursery school pupils and Junior Secondary School (JSS 3) students, describing the practice as unnecessary, exploitative, and a needless financial burden on parents.

Edo, Imo, and Benue had, a few weeks ago, abolished graduation ceremonies in kindergarten, nursery, and basic schools, as well as the use of customised books in schools.

According to the Commissioner for Education, Mr Laolu Akindolire, who disclosed this in Akure during a meeting with proprietors and proprietresses of private schools, the decision followed reports that some schools compel parents to spend huge sums on elaborate ceremonies, uniforms and souvenirs for pupils who are not yet completing their basic or secondary education.

Aside from the ban, the commissioner also announced that the government has prohibited the practice of compelling parents to buy new textbooks every academic session when the same books are still in use.

Ajibefun, who stated that siblings of a pupil should be allowed to use the same instructional materials for a period of time, to ease the financial burden on households, stressed that the government is already working on the digitisation of all schools in the state.

The Education Commissioner revealed that plans are at an advanced stage to migrate students in public primary and secondary schools onto the ministry’s digital learning platform, emphasising that the move would improve access to quality education, ensure uniformity and promote accountability across schools.