The Osun State government has announced a ban on graduation ceremonies for nursery and kindergarten pupils across both public and private schools in the state.
The announcement was made through the Osun State Ministry of Education in a circular dated September 19, 2025 and signed by the Permanent Secretary, M. A. K. Jimoh.
In the circular, the Ministry of Education explained that the directive was necessitated by concerns over the financial strain on parents and the loss of instructional time caused by such elaborate events.
“It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Education that the practice of organising elaborate graduation ceremonies for Nursery and Kindergarten pupils has become increasingly common,” the circular stated.
According to the ministry, the celebrations, while intended to mark educational milestones, have increasingly commercialised early childhood education and placed unnecessary burdens on families.
The new policy specifies that graduation ceremonies and parties will now be restricted to Primary 6 pupils completing their primary education and Senior Secondary School 3 students finishing their secondary education.
“In view of the above, the Ministry of Education hereby bans all graduation ceremonies for Nursery and Kindergarten pupils, effective immediately,” the statement read.
The directive emphasised that the policy is designed to ensure that schools, parents, guardians, and stakeholders focus on academic achievements at the conclusion of formal primary and secondary education cycles.
Beyond ceremonies, the ministry also issued new guidelines on textbook usage in public and private schools, particularly faith-based institutions.
“Proprietors are now mandated to adhere strictly to an approved list of textbooks,” it stated.
The circular further explained that, “the textbooks must be used for a period of three years to allow siblings to benefit from them consecutively, while the practice of inserting workbooks inside textbooks should stop with immediate effect.
“To promote stability and consistency in education, proprietors of faith-based and private schools are required to adhere to the approved list of textbooks.”
The government warned that schools found violating these directives would face disciplinary action, which may include fines or the suspension of their registration.
“We count on your full cooperation to uphold the integrity and purpose of education,” Jimoh concluded in the circular.
DAILY POST gathered that the first move against this practice was made by the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma. Since then, several states in the federation have followed suit, the most recent being Ekiti and Osun states.
