The Abia State Government has introduced new education policies aimed at easing the financial burden on parents and strengthening standards across schools, Jungle-Journalist.Com reports.

Briefing journalists after this week’s Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti in Umuahia, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, announced that graduation ceremonies will now be limited to terminal classes—Primary 6 and SS3—in both public and private schools.

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Goodluck Ubochi, explained that graduation ceremonies for nursery and lower-class pupils were unnecessary and often forced parents into needless expenses.

Another major policy shift is the separation of textbooks from workbooks. According to Ubochi, this will allow younger siblings to reuse textbooks while workbooks remain unique to each child.

The government also directed parents to ensure they collect their children’s basic education certificates, noting that many First School Leaving Certificates are often abandoned. To tackle this, schools have been instructed not to charge more than ₦2,000 for Primary 6 certificates.

In addition, candidates registering for WAEC, NECO, or JAMB will now be required to present their basic education certificates. No student will be admitted into SS3 without first passing a state-organized promotion examination in SS2.

Ubochi emphasized that all schools—public and private—must participate in the promotion exam, while switching schools between SS2 and SS3 will no longer be permitted. This, he said, is to curb examination malpractice and promote accountability.

“These measures are designed to reduce financial pressure on parents, promote accountability, and ensure integrity in the education system,” Ubochi stated.