Growing up as a child in South-West Nigeria, it was not unusual for adults to ask what class you were in at school and then follow up with the familiar quip: “O ti ka’we tan” — you’re almost done with your education.
Of course, they were joking; in reality, you were still more than a decade away from completing your first university degree.
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Yet for years, many schools across Nigeria have turned that joke into a ritual, staging elaborate graduation ceremonies for nursery and junior secondary students, as if they had reached a decisive milestone and were already nearing the finish line.
A Wave of State Bans
That ritual is now under official scrutiny. In recent weeks, Ondo, Imo, and Benue states have all announced bans on graduation ceremonies for pupils who are not completing major stages of the 6-3-3-4 education system.
In Ondo, Commissioner for Education Igbekele Ajibefun told school proprietors that the ban would relieve parents of unnecessary financial pressure and restore focus to genuine academic benchmarks. “It is obvious that things have gone bad in the education sector; there are urgent issues we need to address so that we can bring back the lost glory,” he said. The state is also moving to re-accredit private schools as part of a wider quality-control push.
In Imo, Education Commissioner Bernard Ikegwuoha issued a memo restricting graduation rites to Primary 6 and Senior Secondary School. Days later, Benue’s Ministry of Education issued its own directive outlawing ceremonies in kindergarten, nursery, and basic schools.
National Endorsement
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has thrown its weight behind the trend. Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu hailed the Imo ban as a “bold step” toward value reorientation, warning that lavish ceremonies at early stages distort children’s sense of achievement.
“Early exposure to such extravagant celebrations distorts the values of hard work, humility and delayed gratification, which are critical for personal growth and national development,” he said in a statement. NOA also linked the move to its wider campaign against “sign-out excesses” in schools.
Schools Push Back
Not everyone agrees. The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools in Nigeria (NAPPS Nigeria) declared that the events are symbolic and add psychological value to the child.
The association’s President, Yomi Otubela, noted that graduation ceremonies, for the child, reinforce a sense of achievement, boost confidence and nurture the motivation to aspire to higher levels of learning.
For parents, he argued that such events provide a moment to celebrate milestones in their child’s educational journey. For schools, they help to foster a culture of recognition, encouragement and motivation.
Where should the Line Be Drawn?
At the heart of the debate lies a simple question: what counts as a true milestone in Nigerian education? For state governments, only the completion of primary and senior secondary school deserves formal recognition. For many schools, smaller steps along the journey also matter.
FURTHER READING
As more states move to outlaw the practice, nursery and junior secondary graduations may soon become a thing of the past. But the argument will linger: are these ceremonies harmless rites of passage, or financial burdens and distractions that cheapen the meaning of education?
Philip Ibitoye is a Special Correspondent with EKO HOT BLOG. Click here to find daily analysis and critical insight on trending issues in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
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