The Federal Government has announced a ban on the admission and transfer of students into Senior Secondary School 3 (SS3) in both public and private secondary schools across Nigeria.

The directive, issued by the Federal Ministry of Education and signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, comes in response to growing concerns over the rising incidence of examination malpractice, including the use of unauthorized “special centres” during external examinations.

The ministry stated that such practices compromise the integrity and credibility of Nigeria’s education system.

According to the directive, which takes effect from the 2026/2027 academic session, admissions and transfers will now be allowed only for SS1 and SS2 classes. The statement stressed that “admission or transfer into SS3 will no longer be permitted under any circumstance.”