There was a time when a younger brother or sister proudly inherited the textbooks of an older sibling. Those books were neatly covered, carefully preserved throughout the school year, and passed down from one child to the next. Parents saved money, children learned just as effectively, and no one considered it a disadvantage.
Today, that culture appears to be disappearing.
Across many private schools—particularly in South East Nigeria—parents increasingly complain that they are compelled to purchase brand-new textbooks every academic session, even when the same books used by older siblings are still in excellent condition.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Compulsory graduation ceremonies. End-of-session parties. Customized uniforms. Branded exercise books. Souvenirs. Special levies. Development fees. The list seems to grow every year.
It raises a difficult but necessary question: Has education gradually become more of a business than a social service?
Against this backdrop, the Ekiti State Government has taken a bold and commendable step. The state has approved the reuse of textbooks by younger siblings, provided the books remain in good condition. It has also maintained a policy limiting textbook changes to once every six years in primary schools and once every four years in secondary schools, in line with national education guidelines.
Ekiti has equally reaffirmed its ban on graduation ceremonies for pupils in kindergarten, nursery, primary, and secondary schools.
The objective is clear: make education more affordable, eliminate unnecessary expenses, and protect parents from exploitation.
Ekiti is not alone.
Osun State has directed schools to stop changing textbooks indiscriminately, allowing approved books to remain in use for several years so younger siblings can inherit them. The state has also banned graduation ceremonies for nursery and kindergarten pupils.
Ondo State has taken similar measures by restricting frequent textbook changes and prohibiting graduation ceremonies for nursery and Junior Secondary School pupils.
Here in the South East, Imo State has also acted by banning graduation ceremonies for kindergarten, nursery, and Junior Secondary School pupils, restricting unnecessary textbook changes, and prohibiting graduation levies for pupils who are not even graduating.
The question, however, is: To what extent are these policies being implemented?
Niger State has equally enforced a ban on graduation ceremonies after discovering that some schools were compelling parents to pay for graduation gowns, entertainment, souvenirs, and other avoidable expenses.
Even more significant is the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Education, which has introduced a national policy encouraging the reuse of durable textbooks for four to six years, discouraging disposable workbooks that require annual replacement, and restricting graduation ceremonies to learners completing major stages of their education.
All of this raises important questions.
If governments at both the federal and state levels recognize these practices as unnecessary burdens on parents, why do many schools continue to insist on compulsory new textbooks every session?
Why are parents still being compelled to pay for elaborate graduation ceremonies and other questionable charges?
Is this simply a failure of regulation and enforcement, or has education become excessively commercialized?
For those of us in the South East, the question becomes even more pressing.
Apart from Imo State, what are the other South East governments doing to protect parents?
Are Ministries of Education actively monitoring schools?
Are inspectors carrying out routine compliance checks?
Are Parent-Teacher Associations speaking up?
Or have parents quietly accepted these costs as the new normal?
Education should be accessible, not unnecessarily expensive. Schools deserve to make reasonable operational decisions, but those decisions should never place avoidable financial burdens on families.
Perhaps it is time to restore a simple culture that once served parents and children well: If a textbook is still relevant and in good condition, why shouldn’t a younger sibling use it?
Should schools be allowed to compel parents to buy new textbooks every academic session?
Should younger siblings be free to inherit textbooks that are still in good condition?
At what point does school administration become commercialization?
Are graduation ceremonies for nursery, primary, and junior secondary pupils necessary, or have they become expensive social events?
Should governments regulate how often schools change textbooks?
Why are these complaints more common among private schools?
What role should Parent-Teacher Associations play in checking excessive charges?
Are Ministries of Education doing enough to enforce existing policies?
What practical lessons can other states learn from Ekiti’s proactive approach?
As a parent, what unnecessary school charges have you encountered, and how did you respond?
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