Ondo State Government has banned private schools from organizing graduation ceremonies for pupils of nursery and primary schools, as well as students of Junior Secondary School in the state.
The state Commissioner for Education, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, said this was part of the decision of the state government to sanitize the education sector of the state.
According to the commissioner, other decisions included the prohibition of illegal and unregistered schools, the banning of graduation ceremonies for nursery schools and the re-accreditation of all private schools for quality assurance.
Professor Ajibefun, spoke with all proprietors and proprietresses of schools in the 18 local government areas, in Akure.
He declared that the state government is poised to reposition the education sector and was taking deliberate steps to encourage and support private school owners through different policies.
The Commissioner pointed out that schools operating illegally in the state would be given a six-month grace period to get approval, and the state would review the conditions for school approval to make it easier.
Professor Ajibefun also stressed that the state would no longer tolerate schools organizing excursions without approval or clearance from the Ministry due to the state of security in the nation.
He advised private school owners to be circumspect on the issue of making extra lessons compulsory after normal classes.
On the reuse of textbooks, the government has banned the exploitation of parents through the purchase of new textbooks every year.
The State government stated that that siblings of a particular pupil can continue to use the same textbook for a period of time.
The commissioner also maintained that the process of digitizing all schools in the state was in progress.
Professor Ajibefun elucidated that all students in the state’s primary and secondary schools would soon be migrated to the digital platform of the Ministry of Education.
