ASABA – In recent times, an alarming pattern of financial exploitation has emerged within private educational institutions, particularly targeting parents of nursery and primary school pupils. Graduation ceremonies, which should be modest milestones, have been grossly commercialized, leading to unnecessary financial burdens. The practice of imposing exorbitant fees for graduation gowns, events, and “mandatory” textbooks is raising serious concerns among stakeholders and the general public.
Parents are crying out against what they describe as institutionalized extortion disguised as educational customs. The cost of graduation ceremonies for children as young as four or five years old has become egregiously high, with some schools mandating payments that rival or exceed termly tuition. These exploitative policies serve no academic purpose and instead benefit only the proprietors of these schools.
More disturbing is the conspicuous silence of the government, particularly the Office of the Commissioner for Primary School Education. Many are beginning to question this indifference, with accusations swirling that some form of collusion or financial kickbacks may be at play. The inaction, whether by neglect or by design, is eroding public trust and undermining the integrity of educational governance.
In stark contrast, several neighboring states have taken decisive steps to abolish such predatory practices. These states have banned graduation fees for nursery and primary school pupils and prohibited schools from forcing parents to purchase specific uniforms or textbooks. These bold policies have been welcomed by parents and seen as a demonstration of political will and sensitivity to public welfare.
The general populace is now demanding similar boldness from their own leadership. There is a resounding call for the Commissioner for Primary Education to enact immediate and sweeping reforms. At the very least, there must be a blanket ban on compulsory graduation ceremonies and associated fees for nursery and primary classes, which offer no tangible benefit to a child’s academic progression.
Education should never be a platform for profiteering at the expense of struggling families. When learning is commodified in this manner, it cheapens the very purpose of schooling. Parents must not be coerced into participating in financially draining ceremonies that serve only the vanity of school proprietors. It is time to restore the sanctity and simplicity of early childhood education.
The government must act decisively. The proliferation of unjustified financial demands in private schools is unacceptable, unsustainable, and unethical. The public outcry is loud and clear: Abolish unnecessary graduation fees, regulate textbook procurement, and hold private schools accountable. Anything short of this will be interpreted as complicity in a system designed to exploit, not educate.