By Amaka Onwuzulike
The Anambra State Government has joined its counterparts in placing a ban on it called “flamboyant, glamorous and unnecessary graduation ceremonies”.
The Commissioner for Education, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh who said the move is to save parents from extortions that happen in schools in the name of graduation parties, made the announcement at the opening ceremony of a three-day conference for proprietors of private schools held in Awka for Awka, Aguata and Nnewi Zones.
The conference is geared towards updating the school managers on new methods of teaching, school administration and updates in the curriculum to keep pace with their colleagues in public schools to ensure that they meet Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s expectations and visions for the education system in the state.
Prof. Chuma-Udeh reminded the proprietors that education and teaching are vocations that place less emphasis on material gains and asked them to guard against exposing children to unnecessary materialistic tendencies and competitions, which only expose the kids to hate and rivalry.
She asked the school owners to also invest more in regular training and re-training of their teachers and staff.
The Commissioner noted that it is very important that every child receives equitable education, adding that the Ministry of education is bound to give proprietors necessary education by law, curriculum and taxonomies to ensure basic standards are met.