The Plateau State Ministry of Education has reaffirmed its prohibition on schools requiring non-transferable textbooks and conducting graduation ceremonies involving academic gowns. This regulation applies to all nursery, primary, and secondary institutions, both public and private, throughout the state.
These rules stem from a stakeholder meeting on August 28, 2025, which were later ratified by the Plateau State House of Assembly on September 2, 2025, and signed into law by Governor Caleb Mutfwang. According to Mr. Sabastine John, the Ministry’s Director of Quality Assurance, the goal is to ease the financial pressure placed on families and keep education costs manageable.
Schools are strictly forbidden from hosting graduations or using academic regalia, though official Speech and Prize-Giving Days remain permitted. The Ministry has dispatched monitoring teams to all 17 local government areas to ensure adherence to these rules. Any institution found in breach of this policy faces severe penalties, ranging from immediate shutdown to the total revocation of its operating license.
