The Osun State Government has indeed banned graduation ceremonies for nursery and kindergarten pupils in both public and private schools across the state, effective immediately. This decision was announced in a circular dated September 19, 2025, issued by the Osun State Ministry of Education.
Reasons Behind the Ban:
– Financial Burden: The government aims to reduce the financial pressure on parents, as elaborate ceremonies have become increasingly commercialized and expensive.
– Loss of Instructional Time: The ministry noted that these events often disrupt classroom learning and consume valuable teaching time.
– Commercialization of Education: The government wants to curb the trend of schools pressuring families to spend excessively on graduation ceremonies.
New Guidelines:
– Graduation Ceremonies: Now limited to Primary 6 pupils completing their primary education and Senior Secondary School 3 (SSS3) students finishing their secondary education.
– Textbook Usage: Schools must adopt approved textbooks, which should be used for at least three academic sessions to allow siblings to benefit consecutively.
– Prohibited Practices: Inserting workbooks inside textbooks is no longer allowed.
Consequences for Non-Compliance:
– Schools failing to comply with these directives risk facing disciplinary measures, including fines or suspension of registration.
– Monitoring teams will conduct random checks to ensure that schools adhere to these guidelines.
