The Ondo State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology has cracked down on a group of secondary school students from Oyemekun Grammar School, Aquinas Secondary School, and CAC Grammar School following a viral “sign-out” video that sparked widespread public outrage across social media.
The video, which circulated heavily on platforms like TikTok and Facebook following the completion of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), showed graduating students engaging in chaotic and undisciplined behaviour, including tearing uniforms and chanting inappropriate slogans.
In an emergency meeting convened at the Ministry’s headquarters in Akure, government officials and school administrators gathered to address the breach of conduct.
The Ministry has thus handed down the following immediate sanctions to serve as a deterrent to other schools across the state:
The official school testimonials and WASSCE results of the 17 students identified in the video will be withheld until further notice, and their names will be entered into the “black book” of their respective schools.
All principals have been directed to open a “black book” for student misconduct, and senior officers at the affected schools have received official queries for failing to adequately supervise and allowing the celebrations to degenerate into lawlessness.
For those in the video who are not in the terminal class, the Ministry has directed that they be expelled from school immediately.
The Commissioner advised all parents to consistently counsel their children against actions that could mar their futures, stating that the measures taken by the Ministry will serve as a deterrent to other students who might consider engaging in similar acts in the future.
Addressing the press after the disciplinary hearing, the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, emphasized that while celebrating academic milestones is natural, the government maintains zero tolerance for activities that damage the moral fabric and reputation of the state’s educational system.
He stated, “The growing ‘sign-out’ culture among secondary school students must be guided by decency. We will not fold our arms and watch the discipline we have painstakingly instilled in our schools be eroded for the sake of social media clout. We must defend the integrity of our education system in the state. We will not allow those who are not ready to be in school to disturb our institutions.”
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Akindele Ige, advised principals to proactively share information with the Zonal Education Office and the Ministry to address unrest before it escalates.
Parents and the graduating students involved have been summoned to the Ministry today to receive their official punishment letters.
