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 the country.
The announcement was made in a statement released on Sunday in Abuja by Mrs Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education.
Boriowo said the policy was introduced in response to the increasing cases of examination malpractice, including the operation of special centres during external examinations.
She said these practices had continued to erode public confidence in the nation’s education system.
Under the new directive, which will take effect from the 2026/27 academic session, student admissions and transfers will be limited to SS1 and SS2 only.
She stressed that no student would be allowed to gain admission or be transferred into SS3 under any circumstances.
According to Boriowo, the policy is intended to prevent last-minute transfers undertaken to secure unfair examination advantages.
She added that it would also support effective academic monitoring and ensure continuity in the learning process.
She said school owners and administrators had been instructed to ensure strict compliance with the directive, warning that defaulters would face sanctions in line with existing regulations.
Boriowo said the ministry remained committed to upholding academic standards, ensuring equity and safeguarding the credibility of public examinations across Nigeria.
