The Imo State Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has issued a stern warning to private schools operating in the state, threatening to revoke licences and delist any institution that violates existing directives banning certain graduation ceremonies and arbitrary changes of textbooks.
In a notice dated April 27, 2026, the ministry said the warning was directed at pupils, students, parents, stakeholders, and the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, as well as proprietors, principals, headmasters and headmistresses across the state.
The notice, signed by the Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, Prof. B. T. O. Ikegwuoha, reaffirmed policies earlier introduced by the ministry, including a similar directive issued last year, while warning that graduation ceremonies for Kindergarten, Nursery and Junior Secondary School 3 pupils remain prohibited.
It said only Primary 6 and Senior Secondary School 3 students are permitted to hold graduation ceremonies under the current policy.
The ministry also placed a strict ban on contributions or levies imposed on non-graduating pupils and students for send-off or graduation ceremonies of others. According to the directive, pupils in Primary 1 to 5, as well as students in JSS 1 to 3 and SSS 1 to 2, must not be compelled to pay any money for such events.
For graduating classes allowed under the policy, the ministry clarified that any celebrations must be privately arranged by parents or guardians without the involvement of the schools. It said schools must neither coordinate such events nor collect money for them.
In another major directive, the ministry said the ban on indiscriminate textbook changes remains in force, accusing some schools of compelling parents to buy new editions or entirely different books yearly for profit-driven reasons.
It said approved textbook lists must remain stable for a minimum of four years in order to reduce financial pressure on families. The ministry further disclosed that a fresh list of approved textbooks will be introduced in August 2026 and remain valid until August 2030.
The government warned that any school found violating the directives would face severe sanctions, including immediate withdrawal of its operating licence.
It added that offending schools could also be removed from the register of approved schools in the state and subsequently declared illegal and unapproved institutions.
The ministry called on members of the public to report defaulting schools, requesting details such as the school’s name, location, phone number and nature of the violation through designated WhatsApp channels.
It said the measures were aimed at easing the financial burden on parents and restoring focus to academic excellence in the state’s education sector, stressing that all heads of public and private schools must comply fully with the directives, as ignorance would not be accepted as an excuse.
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