Paul Little received his diploma from Dallas Center High School in Grimes, Iowa, more than 80 years after leaving school to help support his family.

Little later spent years farming and, with his late wife, became a longtime supporter of local students and schools, including donating $50,000 to his former school district.

School officials surprised Little at his nursing home on Sept. 17 and awarded him the diploma he never got the chance to receive.

A 98-year-old Iowa man just received his high school diploma over 80 years after having to leave school to help support his family.

Paul Little attended Dallas Center High School in Grimes, a suburb of Des Moines, and was set to graduate in 1946 — but he dropped out during his junior year in order to work, according to CBS 19.

Paul went on to farm for years in nearby Guthrie County, and despite never getting the chance to finish his education, he — alongside his late wife Eleanor — always made a point to support local students and education initiatives.

“For the last 15 to 18 years he’s given money out to help our kids get jump-started to the next stage in life,” Kasey Huebner, superintendent of the Panorama School District in Guthrie County, said while speaking to CBS 19.

Paul eventually moved into a nursing home in his hometown and donated $50,000 to Dallas Center High School — the place that would have been his alma mater.

The school district recently decided to honor Paul and his years of generosity with a surprise visit to his nursing home on Sept. 17, where he was awarded his high school diploma.

“We’re excited to play just a little role in recognizing the awesomeness that is a guy like Paul in our community,” Scott Blum, superintendent of the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District, told CBS 19.

In a statement to PEOPLE, the district added, “We were alerted to Paul’s story by the DCG Education Foundation. After moving back to Dallas Center, Paul connected with this group and offered financial support to our graduating seniors. Paul gave $50,000 to the DCG Education Foundation, and scholarships are now given out annually to our seniors.”

“Paul’s connection to our community spans nearly eight decades,” the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District continued. “He’s made a lasting impact on our students and their futures. Honoring Paul with an honorary diploma was our way of saying thank you. His legacy will be felt for generations at Dallas Center-Grimes.”

Paul — whose funding has helped over 150 students graduate — said contributing to his community was never a hard decision.

“I think it’s very important. We need to support the kids in schools,” he told CBS 19.

By Nick Ibe, Abuja

QR-based ranking codes have been introduced by the Federal ministry of Education to strengthen accountability; second phase to cover four additional class levels

Similarly, the Ministry has released the final list of Ranked and Approved Textbooks for use in Nigerian schools for the 2026–2028 period, following the completion of the first phase of the national textbook ranking exercise.

A release by Boriowo Folasade,
Director, Press and Public Relations, on Monday, 28th September, 2026 said:

“The approved list covers textbooks for Primary 1, Primary 4, Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS 1) and Senior Secondary School 1 (SS 1). Each approved title carries a unique Ranking/QR Tracking Code, alongside key details including the title, author(s), publisher and year of publication, to facilitate identification, monitoring and accountability.”

The statement added, the exercise was conducted under the guidance and leadership of the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad.

Furthermore, it justified the introduction of the Ranking QR tracking saying:

“The introduction of the Ranking/QR Tracking Code represents an important step towards strengthening the monitoring and control of approved instructional materials and ensuring greater transparency in their selection, procurement and utilisation.”

The Ministry noted that the additional process of generating and assigning unique codes to each ranked textbook contributed to the time required to complete and validate the final lists.

The ranking exercise is being implemented in phases. Following the completion and approval of the first phase, preparations will commence for the second round, covering textbooks for Primary 2, Primary 5, JSS 2 and SS 2. The same identification and tracking measures will apply to the subsequent phase.

The Federal Ministry of Education urges publishers, schools, education authorities, procurement agencies and other relevant stakeholders to consult the official approved list when selecting and procuring textbooks for the affected classes.

The exercise forms part of the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that learners and teachers have access to quality, relevant and curriculum-aligned instructional materials, while strengthening transparency and accountability in textbook provision across Nigerian schools.

The complete 2026–2028 Ranked and Approved Textbooks, including the Ranking/QR Tracking Code for each approved title, is available through the link below:

drive.google.com/file/d/1lOX8iW…

The Federal Ministry of Education encourages all stakeholders to adhere to the approved list in the provision and use of textbooks for the specified classes.

By Son Tertsea

The results of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by the National Examinations Council, have placed Kano State as the overall best.

Kano emerged as the leading state with 74,413 candidates obtaining at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.

The result places Lagos, which recorded 72,496 candidates, and Oyo with 55,543 candidates, as coming second and third respectively according to figures released by the Kano State Government.

The development marks the second consecutive year Kano has recorded the highest number of candidates meeting the five-credit benchmark, following its performance in the 2025 NECO examination.

Reacting to the result, Governor Abba Yusuf, in a statement issued on Saturday by his spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, congratulated the students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders.

According to the statement, Yusuf described the performance as an indication that the state’s investment in education was yielding measurable results. In his words:

“This back-to-back performance is an indication that our sustained investment in education is producing measurable results.”

The governor assured residents that his administration would continue to prioritise education through increased funding, improved learning facilities, teacher recruitment and training, scholarships and support for indigent students.

“Our government spent more than N4.4bn in 2026 to sponsor candidates for the Senior School Certificate Examination, particularly indigent students, to remove financial barriers to participation,” the governor said.

Yusuf said the investment extended beyond examination sponsorship to classroom renovation, recruitment and training of teachers, provision of learning materials, uniforms and scholarships.

“We will continue to invest in education because our objective is to build a system that equips our young people with the knowledge and skills required for higher education, employment, innovation and leadership,” the governor said.

The statement said education had consistently received one of the largest allocations in Kano’s budgets under the Yusuf administration, with the sector allocated N168.35bn, representing 31 per cent of the 2025 budget.

For 2026, the state allocated N405.35bn to education, representing about 30 per cent of its N1.48tn budget, according to the government.

Yusuf dedicated the latest NECO performance to students, teachers, parents and residents of the state, while pledging to sustain interventions aimed at improving learning outcomes.

“This achievement belongs to our students, teachers, parents and the good people of Kano State,” the governor said.

The governor’s spokesman said the state had recorded more than five million school children in the latest annual school census, underscoring the scale of the government’s education responsibilities.