The Ondo State Government has announced a sweeping reform of the education sector, with a major decision banning all private schools in the state from organizing graduation ceremonies for nursery pupils, primary school leavers, and students in Junior Secondary Schools. The decision was made public by the Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting with school proprietors and proprietresses across the state.
Speaking in Akure, the state capital, Professor Ajibefun explained that the policy was aimed at sanitizing the education system and curbing exploitative practices that have crept into the private school business. According to him, many schools have turned graduation ceremonies into unnecessary spectacles that place financial burdens on parents without adding real value to the academic development of pupils.
The commissioner emphasized that the government was committed to restoring the lost glory of education in Ondo State by introducing measures that would encourage standardization and quality assurance. He said that while private schools play an important role as partners in education, they must adhere strictly to regulations that safeguard the interest of students, parents, and the overall integrity of the system.
Other critical decisions announced include the outright prohibition of unregistered and illegal schools across the state. Professor Ajibefun disclosed that operators of such schools would be given a six-month grace period to regularize their status and obtain proper approval from the Ministry of Education. He added that the government was reviewing school approval requirements to make them more flexible and achievable, ensuring genuine proprietors could comply without unnecessary difficulties.
“The reality is that when you run an unapproved school, you are running an illegal business,” Ajibefun said. “This administration will not condone such practices, and that is why we are making the conditions easier while still insisting on minimum standards. In the coming weeks, new guidelines will be released for all schools to follow.”
In addition to the clampdown on unauthorized schools, the state government has also banned school excursions without prior clearance from the Ministry of Education. Ajibefun noted that the decision was influenced by Nigeria’s current security challenges, stressing that the safety of pupils and students must remain the top priority for both the government and school administrators.
The commissioner further warned against the imposition of compulsory extra lessons on pupils after normal school hours. He urged school owners to ensure that such lessons remain voluntary and not a tool for extorting parents. He also revealed that the state government had outlawed the yearly purchase of new textbooks, which has been a long-standing complaint from parents.
According to Ajibefun, families can now reuse textbooks for siblings of the same household, thereby reducing the financial stress on parents. He explained that schools must comply with this directive to prevent unnecessary exploitation and to promote fairness in the education system.
Beyond regulatory enforcement, Ajibefun revealed that the government was already making efforts to digitize all schools in Ondo State. He said the process of migrating students at the primary and secondary school levels to a centralized digital platform of the Ministry of Education had commenced, noting that this step was critical to modernizing learning and teaching methods.
The commissioner also reassured private school owners that the state government was not working against their interests but rather trying to create an environment where quality education could thrive. He said, “My interactions begin with private school owners because you are stakeholders in the business of education. It is not just any business; it is the most critical business of all, and the state must take deliberate steps to ensure excellence.”
He called on all proprietors and proprietresses to embrace the new reforms, highlighting that the ultimate goal was to raise the quality of education in Ondo State to meet global standards. Ajibefun reiterated that the government would continue to support private schools that comply with regulations and contribute positively to the state’s education sector.
With these new reforms, the Ondo State Government has set the tone for a stricter regulatory regime aimed at addressing the systemic rot in the sector. Whether these measures will bring about the expected transformation depends largely on the cooperation of private school owners, parents, and other stakeholders in ensuring that the policies are faithfully implemented.
