- Education Ministry Meets Stakeholders Tuesday August 26
By Amos Aar
THE BENUE State Government has introduced a new set of policies aimed at reducing the cost of education for parents, including the ban on customised learning materials and compulsory graduation ceremonies in schools across the state.
According to a circular released on Wednesday (August 20, 2025) by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management, Mrs. Nambativ Helen Zeramo, both public and private schools are to stop the use of branded textbooks, exercise books and other customised materials, which she described as restrictive and financially demanding.
The ministry directed schools to return to the traditional system where textbooks are reusable and can be handed down from senior to junior students, thereby easing parents’ expenses.
Also affected by the new directive is the conduct of compulsory after-school lessons, which will only be allowed where parents expressly approve.
Graduation ceremonies at the kindergarten, nursery and primary school levels were also suspended, with the government noting that they often create unnecessary financial strain.
Mrs. Zeramo noted that the reforms are in line with the vision of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration to relieve families of avoidable costs and improve access to quality education.
She emphasised that all schools are expected to begin full compliance from the start of the 2025/2026 academic session.
To deliberate further on the reforms and their implementation, the ministry has fixed a stakeholders’ meeting with school proprietors, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and other education partners for Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
