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 secondary schools, effective from the 2026/27 academic session. The directive, issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, aims to tackle the persistent problem of examination malpractice and restore integrity to Nigeria’s education system.
According to the Ministry, the policy limits student movements to Senior Secondary School One (SS1) and Senior Secondary School Two (SS2), with no exceptions for SS3. Officials noted that last-minute transfers into final-year classes have been exploited to gain unfair advantages during national examinations, often involving “special centres” where students manipulate results. By restricting transfers in the final year, the government expects students to experience uninterrupted learning and consistent academic monitoring, strengthening the credibility of final-year exams.
School proprietors, principals, and administrators have been instructed to comply fully with the policy, with violations attracting sanctions under existing education regulations.
The move forms part of a broader government crackdown on examination malpractice, which includes banning students caught cheating in any national exam, including JAMB, WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB, from sitting external exams for three years. Enforcement leverages the National Identification Number to prevent offenders from circumventing penalties.
Sanctions have also been extended to schools and Computer-Based Test centres found facilitating malpractice, with the potential derecognition of facilities involved in cheating. The government has proposed establishing a National Examination Malpractice Tribunal to ensure swift prosecution of offenders and deter future violations.
Further reforms include the planned full transition of major national exams to computer-based testing by 2026, a measure expected to strengthen security, limit conventional cheating, and improve examination integrity across the country.
