₦airaland Forum

The Federal Government has announced a nationwide ban on the admission and transfer of students into Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) in all public and private schools, beginning from the 2026/27 academic session.

The announcement, signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, said the directive was part of efforts to curb examination malpractice and restore credibility to Nigeria’s education system.

“The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, has announced a nationwide prohibition on the admission and transfer of students into Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) in all public and private secondary schools,” the statement read.

According to the ministry, the policy follows growing concerns over the increasing incidence of malpractice, including the use of so‑called special centres during external examinations.

It explained that admissions and transfers will now be restricted strictly to Senior Secondary School One (SS1) and Senior Secondary School Two (SS2). “Admission or transfer into SS3 will no longer be permitted under any circumstance,” the ministry stated.

Officials said the measure is aimed at discouraging last‑minute movement of students for examination‑related advantages, ensuring proper academic monitoring, and promoting continuity in teaching and learning.

School proprietors, principals, and administrators nationwide have been directed to comply fully with the policy.

The minitry warned that any violation would attract sanctions in line with existing education regulations and guidelines.

Reaffirming government’s commitment, the statement added: “The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirms the Federal Government’s commitment to maintaining academic standards, promoting fairness, and restoring credibility to public examinations across the country.”

SmartPolician:
If that's the case, what's the essence of WAEC?
Abolish that nonsense and let secondary school students start using their transcripts the way it's done in the US.

HacheNoire:
Like you don’t know what majority of Nigerian parents will do if WAEC is abolished. You will just get to realize that, fails again. They will buy all the grades for their kids.

Nigerian parents are the real threat to education. They have corrupted and bastardized the system.

Have you observed that everyones’s kid is now brilliant and gets double promotion? Only the poor ones don’t get it except kid is extraordinarily brilliant.

But you see those rich ones, they get double promotion before primary 4 and write common entrance in same primary 4 or 5.

Go to common entrance examination centers and go see what’s happening there. You will be amazed. I almost was very sad the day I witnessed it.

So the government knows what happening and wants to counter it. If WAEC is removed. then doom is certain!

SmartPolician:
I'm guessing you mean the parents of students attending good private schools. Haven't you noticed that they don't fail WAEC either?

Whether we admit it or not, private secondary schools are academically better than federal and state counterparts with a few exceptions though.

Bro, you see in this life, you need to understand that making money makes life easy anywhere in the world.

What inspired my comment is that students spend 3 years in school working hard to pass subjects that will eventually become useless. It should count for something.

HacheNoire:
What’s going on in the educational sector is not about private or public. It’s about high level corruption between parents and school administration. It just happens more in private under the cover that they teach well.

Money is very good, but when it starts buying grades and degrees, then a country has no future.

Can’t you see the quality of graduates we churning out now? If you have an informal chat with what will call graduates now, you will be asking yourself if you really talking to a graduate.

Have you ever spoken to graduate that you had to ask yourself, how did he he pass WAEC and JAMB, or graduate.

SmartPolician:
You are right, but it's also unfair to generalize. Some private schools have a very high standard that makes WAEC and UTME too cheap for their students.

In other words, if you can pass their mock exams, those external exams will be too easy for you.

Back in the day, Command Day Sec. School had something like that. I don't know if they still do.

That's why students from highbrow private schools perform well whenever they participate in international exams.

ARISHEM:
Rubbish nonsense. So if a student did not pass a crucial paper. You want to deny such student in retaking that exam unless he go back to SS2 or do GCE.

ntyce:
Only God knows how Tinubu's ministers reason especially this Education Minister.
He comes out with different policies every day thinking he's about to revolutionize the system, he's just causing confusion.
How can there be out outright ban on admission or transfer.
What happens where parents are genuine about transfer due to wanting better standard for the student or relocation?

CJStarz:
Misplaced priority.
So a parent who is transferred from one part of the country to another will leave behind his or her child going to SS3 simply because the child cannot be enrolled in another school in the parents' new location because of this policy?

Besides, don't parents have the rights any longer to change school for their children, whenever they wish?

This is dictatorship.
Abacha no do reach dis level

HacheNoire:
Why I said majority and not all.

Do you know private schools also have corrupt influences to make their students pass WAEC? That’s how they market the schools.

A lot goes on in the educational sector if you take time to investigate. I mean a lot!

If WES should do a full time audit of all result sent to them, you will be shocked by the outcome.

The system is rigged! Only the poor cannot thrive in the system.

HacheNoire:
Why I said majority and not all.

Do you know private schools also have corrupt influences to make their students pass WAEC? That’s how they market the schools.

A lot goes on in the educational sector if you take time to investigate. I mean a lot!

If WES should do a full time audit of all result sent to them, you will be shocked by the outcome.

The system is rigged! Only the poor cannot thrive in the system.

SmartPolician:
I'm guessing you mean the parents of students attending good private schools. Haven't you noticed that they don't fail WAEC either?

Whether we admit it or not, private secondary schools are academically better than federal and state counterparts with a few exceptions though.

Bro, you see in this life, you need to understand that making money makes life easy anywhere in the world.

What inspired my comment is that students spend 3 years in school working hard to pass subjects that will eventually become useless. It should count for something.

HacheNoire:
Why I said majority and not all.

Do you know private schools also have corrupt influences to make their students pass WAEC? That’s how they market the schools.

A lot goes on in the educational sector if you take time to investigate. I mean a lot!

If WES should do a full time audit of all result sent to them, you will be shocked by the outcome.

The system is rigged! Only the poor cannot thrive in the system.

advanceDNA:
At the end of the day all these laws will not work with private schools.......private schools can still admit any student into any class and create records if needed to prove the student has been with them since...

The problem with federal and state govt is that they have good initiatives on ground they don't leverage on.....
They already have what is called learners ID generated by the ministry of education from primary 1......if they can enforce the use of this ID like BVN ....
It can easily be used to monitor students digital footprint even.....it will even curb parents that take their students to another school to jump class even when they fail

But alas......some school don't even have roof or chairs to sit....... But someone just wakes up to makes laws to appear active

HacheNoire:
What’s going on in the educational sector is not about private or public. It’s about high level corruption between parents and school administration. It just happens more in private under the cover that they teach well.

Money is very good, but when it starts buying grades and degrees, then a country has no future.

Can’t you see the quality of graduates we churning out now? If you have an informal chat with what we call graduates now, you will be asking yourself if you really talking to a graduate.

Have you ever spoken to graduate that you had to ask yourself, how did he he pass WAEC and JAMB, or graduate.