THE Federal Government has prohibited the admission and transfer of students into Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) across all public and private secondary schools in Nigeria, as part of efforts to tackle examination malpractice.
The directive by the Federal Ministry of Education, was announced in a statement on Sunday, December 14, and signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo.
According to the ministry, the ban is in response to rising cases of examination malpractice, including the use of so-called special centres during external examinations, which it said undermine the credibility of the country’s education system.
The ministry stated that the policy will take effect from the 2026/27 academic session, restricting admissions and transfers 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 statement said.
The ministry explained that the move is aimed at discouraging last-minute movement of students for examination-related advantages, ensuring effective academic monitoring, and promoting continuity in teaching and learning.
It directed school proprietors, principals, and administrators nationwide to comply fully with the new policy, warning that any violation would attract sanctions in line with existing education regulations and guidelines.
The ministry reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to upholding academic standards, promoting fairness, and restoring the credibility of public examinations across the country.
The directive applies to both public and private secondary schools nationwide.
The ICIR reports that the development followed years of complaints by stakeholders and examination bodies over the last-minute movement of students into SS3, often just before external examinations such as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examination Council (NECO) exams
This often leads to concerns over organised cheating, impersonation, and collusion between candidates and school operators.
These concerns have also led to the blacklisting of several schools and so-called ‘special centres,’ particularly during senior secondary certificate examinations.
Recall that WAEC earlier in August confirmed that the results of 191,053 candidates (9.7 per cent) out of the total candidates who sat for the 2025 WASSCE were withheld over alleged examination malpractice.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M