The Abia State Government has announced new policies to ease financial burdens on parents and strengthen the education system, including the restriction of graduation ceremonies to only pupils and students exiting major levels of education—Primary 6 and SS3—in both public and private schools.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti in Umuahia.
He explained that the decision followed consultations with stakeholders. The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Goodluck Ubochi, added that it was unnecessary for nursery pupils and children in lower classes to hold graduation ceremonies that compel parents to spend heavily.
Another key resolution, according to Ubochi, is the separation of textbooks from workbooks. This, he said, will allow younger siblings to reuse textbooks, while workbooks remain unique to each child.
The government also directed parents to ensure they collect their children’s basic education certificates, as many schools had complained that First School Leaving Certificates were often abandoned. To address this, schools have been instructed not to charge more than ₦2,000 for Primary 6 certificates.
Furthermore, the government made it compulsory for students enrolling for WAEC, NECO, or JAMB to present their basic education certificates, warning that no candidate will be admitted into SS3 without passing a state-organized mandatory promotion exam at SS2.
Ubochi stressed that all public and private schools must participate in the promotion exam, adding that students will no longer be allowed to switch schools between SS2 and SS3 in order to register for external examinations—a move aimed at curbing examination malpractice.
“These measures are designed to reduce financial pressure on parents, promote accountability, and ensure integrity in the education system,” Ubochi stated.
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