The Osun State Government has officially banned graduation ceremonies for nursery and kindergarten pupils across both public and private schools in the state.
In a circular signed by Muritala Jimoh, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, the government stated that graduation events will now only be allowed for Primary Six and Senior Secondary School Three (SSS3) students.
Commenting on the decision, the ministry explained, “This policy aims to reduce the financial burden on parents, minimize the loss of instructional time, and curb the commercialization of early childhood education.”
The directive also includes a new policy on textbook usage. Proprietors of faith-based and private schools must follow an approved list of textbooks, which should be used for a minimum of three years to allow siblings to reuse them. The use of workbooks inside textbooks is prohibited to prevent them from being limited to a single academic session.
The Ministry of Education added that monitoring teams will conduct random checks to enforce compliance, warning that schools found violating the policy may face fines or suspension of registration.
“We urge all stakeholders to cooperate in upholding the integrity and purpose of education in Osun State,” the ministry added.
