By Bisi Lawani
AKURE, June 24, 2026 – The Ondo State Government has imposed stiff disciplinary measures on 17 secondary school students whose participation in a controversial “sign-out” celebration video sparked outrage across social media platforms.
The affected students, drawn from Oyemekun Grammar School, Aquinas Secondary School and CAC Grammar School, were identified in a viral video recorded shortly after the completion of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The video, which gained widespread attention on TikTok, Facebook and other social media platforms, showed students engaging in what education authorities described as unruly and indecent conduct, including tearing their school uniforms, chanting inappropriate slogans and participating in disorderly celebrations.
Following public concern generated by the footage, the Ondo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology convened an emergency disciplinary meeting in Akure involving top government officials, school administrators and education stakeholders to review the incident.
At the end of the meeting, the Ministry announced a series of sanctions aimed at restoring discipline and preventing a recurrence of similar incidents in schools across the state.
Among the measures announced is the withholding of the official school testimonials and WASSCE results of the 17 students identified in the video until further notice. The Ministry also directed that the names of the affected students be entered into a newly established “black book” to be maintained by their respective schools for recording cases of serious misconduct.
In addition, students who appeared in the video but are not members of the graduating class have been ordered expelled from their schools with immediate effect.
The Ministry further issued official queries to senior officers and administrators of the affected schools, accusing them of failing to provide adequate supervision and allowing what should have been a celebratory event to degenerate into acts of indiscipline.
Speaking after the disciplinary hearing, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, said the government would not tolerate behaviour capable of undermining the values and standards upon which the state’s educational system is built.
“While celebrating academic milestones is natural and expected, such celebrations must be conducted responsibly and within acceptable moral standards,” Ajibefun 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,” he added.
As part of broader reforms, the Ministry directed all principals in public secondary schools across Ondo State to establish and maintain a “black book” system for documenting serious acts of student misconduct.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Akindele Ige, urged school administrators to strengthen communication with Zonal Education Offices and the Ministry whenever signs of unrest or misconduct emerge within their schools.
He stressed that proactive intervention remains essential in preventing disciplinary issues from escalating into major incidents that could tarnish the image of educational institutions.
The Commissioner also appealed to parents and guardians to intensify efforts in guiding and monitoring their children, warning that actions undertaken in pursuit of online popularity could have lasting consequences on students’ academic and personal development.
According to the Ministry, the parents and students involved have been summoned to appear before education authorities to receive official letters detailing the sanctions imposed on them.
The incident has reignited public debate over the increasingly popular “sign-out” culture among graduating secondary school students, with many education stakeholders calling for stricter supervision and clearer guidelines to ensure celebrations remain orderly and respectful.
Observers say the Ondo State Government’s action may set a precedent for how educational authorities across the country respond to student misconduct linked to social media trends and end-of-school celebrations.
