Education stakeholders in the North-east have expressed mixed views on the ban on primary school graduation ceremonies and the levies imposed on parents for such events.
The development follows the decision of Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo to stop such ceremonies, citing the financial burden on parents. The move has been endorsed by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), whose Director-General, Lanre Issa-Onilu, described the practice as wasteful and distorting of values among pupils.
In a survey by the correspondents, parents and education experts in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe shared divergent opinions.
Some parents argued that graduation ceremonies motivate children and create lasting memories. Mr Godwin Amos, a parent in Jimeta, said the government should regulate levies rather than impose an outright ban. He suggested an advisory body underthe state ministries of education to approve reasonable charges.
Others, however, condemned the levies. Mrs Sarah Wamba of Yola South said some schools charge N5,000 for graduating pupils and N3,000 for non-graduating pupils, describing the practice as exploitative amid economic hardship.
Mr Mohammed Ibrahim from Numan said the ceremonies were unnecessary, suggesting schools should instead provide vocational training like tailoring, baking, or shoemaking.
Experts also weighed in. Dr Grace Danjuma of Modibbo Adama University warned that an outright ban could negatively affect children’s psychology, while consultant Joel Audu criticised the commercialisation of the practice.
Aisha Adamu Abdullahi of Umminrashida Care Foundation said graduation ceremonies unify communities and should be reformed, not banned. Conversely, Alhaji Idris Akanmu of Allamin Foundation said the practice is alien to African traditions and widens social inequality.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) also gave varying positions. Its Yobe chairman, Alhaji Ado Idris, said the ceremonies are voluntary and parent-driven, while its Borno assistant secretary, Mr Bako Lawan, said private schools make them unnecessarily costly, calling for government regulation.
State officials also responded. Dr Garba Pella, Adamawa’s Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, said no formal complaints of exploitation had been received but promised investigations where necessary. Dr Bukar Bukar, Permanent Secretary in Yobe’s Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, said while graduation ceremonies were not banned, the state had outlawed “marker day” celebrations among final-year pupils.
The debate reflects wider concerns over balancing cultural recognition of milestones with the economic realities facing parents in the region.
(NAN)