Nigeria, Aug. 29 -- The practice, which is in place in most public and private schools in the state, renders textbooks unusable after a term, placing a serious financial burden on parents and sponsors of pupils and students, who purchase the textbooks.

The News Chronicle correspondent reports that the practice has also led to the exclusion of pupils and students who could not afford the textbooks from assignments and tests.

The announcement made by the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, on Friday, was greeted with general acceptance and applause from the people.

Addressing participants at the third day of a capacity-building workshop organized by the Ministry of Education for private school proprietors an...