Benue State Bans Extra Lessons After School Hours

On Monday, during a press conference in Makurdi, Mrs. Margaret Adamu, the State Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, announced a ban on extra lessons after regular school hours in Benue State. Any Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) wishing to organize such lessons must obtain approval from the ministry, and these lessons cannot be made compulsory for students.

The commissioner instructed school proprietors, principals, and heads of schools to ensure compliance with all educational policies and guidelines, warning that defaulters would face appropriate sanctions. Additionally, she mandated that only approved main textbooks be used for teaching, prohibiting the use of restricted or customized non-transferable books.

The cost of textbooks must not be included in school fees, allowing parents to purchase them from schools or other sources. Furthermore, graduation ceremonies are restricted to exit classes such as Basic 9, SS3, and Technical 3, with a prohibition on such ceremonies for Early Childhood Care, Development and Education (ECCDE), Lower Basic, and Middle Basic classes.

The commissioner also warned against bullying and inappropriate birthday celebrations in schools.