Benue Bans Basic School Graduation Parties, Warns of Sanctions for Defaulters

The Benue State Government has announced an immediate ban on graduation parties for kindergarten, nursery, and primary schools, warning that defaulting schools risk sanctions, including possible closure.

Acting Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Mrs. Helen Nambativ, disclosed this on Tuesday in Makurdi, saying the new policy was designed to ease financial pressure on parents and sanitise the education sector at the basic level.

According to her, schools that fail to comply in the 2025/2026 academic session may not be allowed to operate, as government is already putting mechanisms in place to ensure strict enforcement. A task force is also to be constituted to monitor compliance.

The Voice of the People (VOP) recalls that the state government, in a memo issued on Aug. 21, announced the prohibition of such ceremonies, stressing that graduation parties at basic levels had become a needless financial burden on parents and a distraction from academic priorities.

The memo also abolished the use of restricted, customised education materials such as text and exercise books, directing schools to revert to the traditional practice of senior pupils passing down books to lower classes. It further outlawed compulsory after-school lessons unless parents gave explicit consent.

“All compulsory school graduation ceremonies in Benue State are hereby abolished, especially for kindergarten, nursery and basic schools,” the government stated.

While some stakeholders have welcomed the policy, others criticised its timing. A school proprietor in Makurdi, who preferred anonymity, said government should have consulted widely before implementation, noting that many schools had already procured books now outlawed by the directive. He suggested a one-year grace period.

Conversely, a parent, Mr. James Bemgba, commended the initiative, saying it would ease unnecessary costs. “Most schools force parents to pay for the graduation of kids who are less than three years old and also buy books unnecessarily, amongst other things,” he told VOP.