The Benue State Government has banned graduation parties for kindergarten, nursery, and primary schools, citing the need to ease financial burdens on parents and refocus attention on children’s academic development. Acting Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Helen Nambativ, announced that schools that fail to comply may face temporary closure or other sanctions.\r\n

The new policy, effective immediately, also abolishes the compulsory use of customized textbooks and exercise books that cannot be reused by other pupils. Schools are directed to return to the traditional practice of passing books down to junior classes, while compulsory after-school lessons are no longer permitted except with parental consent.\r\n

While some school proprietors criticized the timing of the decision, parents like Mr. James Bemgba praised the move, saying it relieves families from unnecessary expenses such as graduation fees for children under three years old.\r\n