The Imo State Government has announced an immediate ban on graduation ceremonies and parties for kindergarten, nursery, and Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3) students. This directive, issued in a memo dated August 15, 2025, was signed by the Commissioner for Education, Professor Bernard Ikegwuoha, and addressed to parents, guardians, and school proprietors. 

According to the new policy, graduation ceremonies and parties are henceforth only permitted for pupils completing Primary 6 and students completing Senior Secondary School 3 (SSS3), in line with Nigeria’s 6-3-3-4 education system. The government aims to ensure that students, parents, guardians, and schools focus on the academic achievements of students at the end of their primary and secondary education cycles. 

In addition to the ban on early-grade graduation ceremonies, the government has also directed schools to stop the yearly change of textbooks. Textbooks are now required to have a four-year lifespan, allowing siblings to reuse them and easing the financial burden on parents. The directive also warns proprietors of faith-based and private schools against deviating from the approved list of textbooks, emphasizing that frequent changes can be financially burdensome for parents and undermine the quality of education. 

The new education policy takes immediate effect across all public and private primary and secondary schools in Imo State.