Owerri / Imo State — With the 2025-2026 academic session kicking off on September 8, the Imo State Government has banned a wide range of compulsory “entry items” and unapproved levies previously demanded by schools. The directive, released by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Bernard Ikegwuoha, covers both public and private institutions across the state’s 27 local government areas.

What Schools Can’t Demand

Under the new policy, no school may require pupils or students to submit any of the following before admission or examination clearance:

Shovels, hoes, cutlasses, rakes, brooms, mopping sticks
Buckets, disinfectants, detergents, toilet paper
A4 paper
Any unauthorised levies

Commissioner Ikegwuoha described the practice as “illegal and unapproved,” citing repeated reports that parents and guardians were being extorted—even after paying formal examination fees. The government’s goal: eliminate hidden costs of schooling and restore affordability.

Textbooks and Workbook Reform

In a related reform, Imo State has abolished the sale and use of textbooks containing embedded workbooks or assignment pages designed for single-session use. Henceforth:

Approved textbooks must be reusable for at least four years, to reduce waste and recurring cost
Schools and publishers are now required to provide stand-alone workbooks or assignment materials separately, rather than trading on “one-use” texts

The move is aimed at discouraging forced purchases of disposable or customised textbooks, helping parents stretch their investments over several school cycles.

Hotline for Accountability

To support implementation and protect parents, the government has established a dedicated phone line — 0707 659 3298 — for complaints and reports of non-compliance. Commissioner Ikegwuoha encouraged parents, guardians, students, and other stakeholders to report violations via text message.

What This Means for Families and Schools

Parents and guardians: The new policy provides real relief. Many families had been facing hidden costs as schools quietly demanded tools, cleaning items, and stationery long before students even sat exams. By curbing this practice and banning disposable textbook schemes, the state is reining in arbitrary costs and helping parents plan schooling expenses better.

Schools and publishers: The reforms pose a disruption—or an opportunity. Schools that relied on ancillary levies or textbook mark-ups to offset limited budget allocations will need to shift to more transparent funding models. Publishers and school supply businesses focused on quick-turnaround “one-use” textbooks may find themselves squeezed, unless they adapt by offering longer-lasting, low-cost editions, e-learning materials, or modular workbooks that don’t arrive embedded in textbook pages.

Education policy watchers: Imo’s initiative looks like part of a growing trend of state-level interventions to make education more equitable and accountable. Much like the recent bans on graduation ceremonies and compulsory school tools in some states, this move signals that some state governments are increasingly willing to push back on informal, opaque school charges.

Educator’s Perspective

In practice, successful implementation will depend on clear communication from school leadership, robust monitoring by the Ministry, and empowerment of parents and community stakeholders. Schools might respond by refocusing recognition events (e.g., speech days or prize-giving) instead of requiring costly entry items, and by shifting textbook/resource procurement practices toward durability, reuse, and cost-transparency.

For parents, the hotline is a welcome device—if it works. The effectiveness of this reform will ultimately rest on whether families feel safe to report violations, and whether the state enforces its directives consistently, rather than relying solely on top-down announcements.