New policy aims to cut school costs for parents
The Benue State Government has announced an immediate ban on graduation parties for pupils in kindergarten, nursery, and basic schools, saying the events place unnecessary financial pressure on parents.
In the same move, the state also outlawed the use of customized, non-transferable textbooks in schools — a practice the government says forces parents to buy new books every year instead of passing them down.
“Let kids focus on learning, not parties”
The announcement was made by Mrs. Helen Nambativ, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management, in a memo issued Thursday in Makurdi.
She said the new rules, which take effect from the first term of the 2025/26 school year, are part of wider efforts to shift attention back to academics.
Textbooks must now be reusable
Schools across the state have also been ordered to stop using branded or customized exercise books that prevent reuse by other students.
“All schools are to revert to the long-standing practice of senior students handing books down to junior ones,” Nambativ said.
Extra lessons restricted without parent consent
The memo also states that compulsory extra lessons after school hours are no longer allowed unless parents explicitly agree to them.
Stakeholders meeting set for August 26
To further clarify the new policy, the state government has called a meeting for August 26. It will include school owners, PTA leaders, and other education stakeholders.
The government says the goal is to lighten the financial load on families and keep the focus where it belongs — on learning.
