The federal government has unveiled a comprehensive policy framework aimed at reducing the cost of education for parents and enhancing learning outcomes.
This initiative also seeks to promote sustainability in schools by adopting reusable, high-quality textbooks and strengthening quality assurance mechanisms.
The policy was jointly announced by the Education Minister, Tunji Alausa, and his deputy, Suwaiba Ahmed, on Friday.
The ministers stated that the policy is part of ongoing reforms to revitalise the education sector and alleviate the financial burden on families.
They explained that the framework prioritises the use of standardised, durable textbooks designed to last between four and six years, while banning the bundling of disposable workbooks with textbooks in schools.
According to them, this approach will allow learning materials to be reused across multiple academic sessions, enable siblings to share textbooks, lower recurring education costs, and reduce waste, thereby supporting environmental sustainability.
As part of broader reforms, the ministers announced the introduction of a uniform academic calendar to promote consistency in teaching, learning, and school planning nationwide.
They added that graduation ceremonies have been streamlined to ease unnecessary financial pressure on parents, stating that only pupils completing Primary Six, Junior Secondary School 3, and Senior Secondary School 3 will be allowed to hold such ceremonies.
The ministers indicated that the policy will also enhance assessment, quality assurance, textbook selection, and the use of instructional materials across the country.
They addressed longstanding concerns regarding frequent cosmetic revisions of textbooks, weak ranking standards, and practices that compelled parents to purchase new textbooks annually without improvements in content or learning outcomes.
A key provision of the policy includes the introduction of structured revision cycles, under which textbook revisions must reflect substantive improvements in content rather than merely cosmetic layout changes.
The ministers further disclosed that limits will be placed on the number of approved textbooks per subject and grade level, in line with international best practices observed in countries such as Japan, Kenya, and Tanzania.
The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council will continue to play a central role in the assessment and quality assurance of instructional materials, collaborating with relevant education agencies to ensure that only curriculum-aligned textbooks are approved for use in schools.
The ministers reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to education reform and commended the Universal Basic Education Commission, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, and other technical partners for their contributions to the policy.
They also reiterated the government’s resolve to uphold educational standards, promote equity, reduce costs for parents, and ensure nationwide access to quality instructional materials.
(NAN)
