The Ondo State Government has announced a ban on graduation ceremonies for pupils of nursery and primary schools, as well as students in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), as part of sweeping reforms aimed at sanitizing the education sector.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing proprietors and proprietresses of private schools across the 18 local government areas of the state in Akure.
Ajibefun explained that the decision was taken to curb excesses in the sector and restore quality education delivery. He added that the state government was equally moving to re-accredit all private schools to ensure compliance with minimum standards.
> “It is obvious that things have gone bad in the education sector. There are urgent issues we must address so that we can bring back the lost glory,” he said.
The commissioner stressed that private schools play a vital role as stakeholders in the education system but warned that illegal and unregistered institutions would no longer be tolerated.
According to him, schools operating without government approval would be given a six-month grace period to regularize their status, after which enforcement would begin.
He further announced that the state government would soon review conditions for school approval to make the process easier, but insisted that no private school would be allowed to run below required standards.
Other directives rolled out by the Ministry include:
Ban on elaborate graduation ceremonies for nursery and JSS students.
Ban on excursions without prior clearance from the Ministry due to security concerns.
Regulation of compulsory extra lessons, advising schools not to impose them on parents and pupils.
Ban on yearly mandatory purchase of new textbooks, allowing siblings to reuse books to reduce financial burdens on parents.
Ajibefun also revealed that the state government was working on digitizing the education system, noting that all students in public and private schools would soon be migrated to a digital platform under the Ministry of Education.
He assured private school owners that while the government would enforce strict compliance with regulations, it would also provide support through policies designed to strengthen and reposition the education sector for better outcomes.
