The Abia State Government has rolled out new education policies aimed at easing the financial burden on parents and strengthening standards across schools.

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 restricted to only terminal classes—Primary 6 and SS3—in both public and private schools.

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Goodluck Ubochi, explained that it was unnecessary for nursery and lower-class pupils to hold graduation ceremonies that compel parents to spend heavily.

Another major decision is the separation of textbooks from workbooks. According to Ubochi, this will enable 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, lamenting 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, the state has made it compulsory for candidates enrolling for WAEC, NECO, or JAMB to present their basic education certificates. No student will be admitted into SS3 without passing a state-organized mandatory promotion exam in SS2.

Ubochi further stressed 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 move, he said, is aimed at curbing examination malpractice and strengthening accountability.

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