The Federal Government has announced a nationwide ban on the admission and transfer of students into Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) in both public and private secondary schools across Nigeria. The new directive is part of efforts to curb examination malpractice and restore credibility to the country’s education system.
The decision was announced on Sunday in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education and signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Folasade Boriowo. According to the ministry, the policy will take effect from the 2026/2027 academic session.
Under the new rule, students will only be allowed to gain admission or transfer into SS1 and SS2. Admission or transfer into SS3 will no longer be permitted under any circumstance, regardless of the reason.
Explaining the reason for the decision, the ministry said it was responding to growing concerns over the increasing cases of examination malpractice, especially during external examinations such as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examination Council (NECO) exams.
The statement noted that some schools and parents take advantage of the SS3 class to move students to so-called “special centres” where cheating is often organised. These centres are believed to offer unfair assistance to students during final examinations, including leaked questions, impersonation, and other illegal practices.
According to the ministry, “These practices undermine the integrity and credibility of Nigeria’s education system and must be stopped.”
SS3 is the final year of secondary education in Nigeria and is the class in which students prepare for and sit their final external examinations. Over the years, education authorities have raised concerns that some students are transferred to new schools in SS3 mainly to gain access to examination malpractice networks.
By stopping last-minute admissions and transfers into SS3, the government believes schools will be forced to take responsibility for students they have trained over time, while students will also be assessed based on the knowledge and preparation they gained from their original schools.
The Federal Ministry of Education said the policy is aimed at strengthening discipline, promoting proper learning, and ensuring that certificates earned by Nigerian students truly reflect their academic ability.
The ministry also stressed that the directive applies to all secondary schools in the country, including public, private, federal, state, mission, and privately owned schools. School owners and administrators have been advised to take note of the policy and begin preparations ahead of its implementation.
Parents and guardians were also urged to plan early for their children’s education and avoid waiting until the final year before making school changes. The ministry warned that no exception would be made once the policy comes into effect.
In recent years, examination malpractice has become a major challenge in Nigeria’s education sector. Despite efforts by examination bodies, school authorities, and security agencies, cases of cheating continue to be reported across the country.
The use of special centres has been a particular concern, as these centres are often set up solely to help students pass exams through illegal means. Some parents are known to pay large sums of money to secure admission for their children into such centres, especially in SS3.
The government believes that cutting off access to SS3 transfers will reduce the activities of these centres and protect the value of Nigerian certificates both at home and abroad.
Reactions to the policy have been mixed. While many education stakeholders have welcomed the decision, saying it is long overdue, others have expressed concerns about genuine cases where transfers may be necessary, such as relocation due to work or family reasons.
However, the ministry maintained that the long-term benefits of the policy outweigh the challenges. It added that students affected by relocation can still transfer in SS1 or SS2, giving them enough time to settle into their new schools before final examinations.
The new directive is also expected to improve monitoring by education authorities, as it will be easier to track students’ academic records from SS1 through SS3 without sudden changes.
As Nigeria continues to push for reforms in the education sector, the government says restoring trust in examinations and certificates remains a top priority. The SS3 admission ban is one of several measures aimed at addressing deep-rooted problems and ensuring fairness in the system.