The Federal Government says it is planning major changes to Nigeria’s basic education system, including scrapping the Junior Secondary School common entrance examination and introducing a nationwide tracking system for pupils.

Minister of Education Tunji Alausa disclosed that the proposed reform will replace the one-time entrance exam with a continuous assessment model that monitors a child’s academic performance over time.

Under the new approach, pupils will be evaluated from their early years in primary school, with their academic records moving with them if they change schools. The minister explained that this method is expected to give a more accurate picture of a child’s learning progress rather than relying on a single exam.

He added that the reform is also designed to tackle a long-standing issue in Nigeria’s education system, poor transition rates from primary to secondary school.

According to him, data available to the government shows a significant drop-off, with millions of pupils failing to proceed to junior secondary school despite being enrolled at the primary level.

To address this gap, the government plans to introduce a unique identification system for every pupil. The Learner Identification Number will allow authorities to monitor students throughout their education and flag cases where children drop out or fail to advance.

Nigeria’s basic education sector has for years struggled with access and retention challenges, especially in public schools. While enrolment at the primary level remains relatively high, progression to secondary school has not kept pace, raising concerns about out-of-school children.
Education stakeholders have repeatedly called for reforms that go beyond examinations, focusing instead on long-term student development and improved infrastructure.

The minister noted that discussions are ongoing with state governments to expand school infrastructure and accommodate more students. He also revealed that efforts are being made to revive the school feeding programme as part of broader strategies to keep children in school and improve completion rates.