The Ondo State Government has prohibited graduation ceremonies for nursery, primary, and junior secondary school students as part of new reforms aimed at improving the quality and regulation of the education sector.
The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, during a meeting with school proprietors from the state’s 18 local government areas in Akure.
Ajibefun explained that the move is part of broader efforts to reposition the sector, which include shutting down unapproved schools, re-accrediting private schools for quality assurance, and enforcing stricter operational standards.
“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,” he said.
Schools currently operating illegally will be given a six-month grace period to obtain approval, while the government reviews accreditation conditions 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,” Ajibefun added.
The commissioner also warned schools to seek ministry clearance before organizing excursions due to rising security concerns. He advised against making extra lessons compulsory and directed schools to allow siblings to reuse textbooks instead of forcing yearly purchases.
Ajibefun further revealed that the government is digitising all schools, with plans to migrate students to a central digital platform under the Ministry of Education.
