The Niger Private Schools Board has discontinued graduation ceremonies in all private schools with immediate effect.

According to a statement by Yunusa Ibrahim, spokesman for the Niger Ministry of Information and Orientation on Tuesday, private schools are now required to adopt speech and prize-giving ceremonies as the approved platform for celebrating learners and recognising academic excellence, exemplary conduct, leadership and other outstanding achievements.

The Niger government said that the directive applied to all proprietors of private schools, school administrators and management teams, parents and guardians, and other stakeholders in the private education sector.

It also said that the policy was introduced to promote uniformity in end-of-session activities across private schools, preserve the educational significance of school celebrations, strengthen effective regulation of private educational institutions, and discourage extravagant ceremonies.

The policy aimed to encourage schools to prioritise academic achievement and character development, and the government clarified that the directive does not prevent schools from celebrating learners or recognising their achievements.

According to the government, speech and prize-giving ceremonies remain appropriate platforms for awarding prizes and certificates, recognising outstanding academic performance, honouring exemplary behaviour and leadership, and showcasing the achievements of pupils and students.

“Graduation ceremonies in some private schools have become increasingly elaborate and expensive in recent years, resulting in high financial demands on parents and guardians, and unnecessary competition among schools,” said the government. “This is a shift from the educational purpose of end-of-session activities, and the commercialisation of school celebrations.”

The Niger government added that the board, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Orientation and other relevant stakeholders, would embark on public enlightenment and sensitisation campaigns across the state to promote understanding and compliance.

The statement reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting quality education, protecting the interests of learners and parents, and ensuring that school activities were conducted in line with acceptable educational standards and best practices.

It urged all stakeholders to support the implementation of the directive in the interest of discipline, standardisation and educational excellence in the state’s private education sector.

(NAN)