Kogi bans graduation ceremonies tertiary institutions

‎Kogi State Government has taken a far-reaching decision in the education sector by outlawing signing-out ceremonies in all tertiary institutions of the state.
‎
‎Similarly, the annual speech and prize-giving day, which was usually organised by primary and secondary schools in the past, has been revived to replace the yearly graduation ceremonies organised in primary and secondary schools in the state.
‎
‎The State Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, made this known on Wednesday in Lokoja while speaking with educational stakeholders in the state.
‎
‎He said the development followed public outcry and the negative impact of what some students do during their signing-out ceremonies.
‎
‎”The practice of incessant graduation ceremonies in primary and Secondary Schools is becoming economically unaffordable, puts undue pressure on parents as well as attracts some social ills associated with such celebration by the children. The practice is now abolished in the state.
‎
‎”Henceforth, graduation ceremonies will only be allowed after SSS 3 examination; only if it is necessary.
‎
‎”Furthermore, the State Government has banned the use of converting textbooks to workbooks. Parents are now to get notebooks for their Wards to answer the assignments so as to make the Textbook reusable by siblings of the same parents.
‎
‎”The State is striving to avoid mistakes that will affect policy implementation of the State Education law. Therefore, anyone found wanting in truncating the efforts of the State Government to instil sanity in the education sector will face the law,” Mr Jones said.
‎
‎He specifically warned private schools that dissuade their students from writing mock examinations, “Failure by schools not to write Mock Examination, means students from such schools will not be cleared to write WAEC examination.”
‎
‎The meeting included stakeholders in basic and secondary education sector of the state.