The Abia State Government has announced a new policy that bars students from changing schools between Senior Secondary 2 (SS2) and Senior Secondary 3 (SS3) in a move to curb examination malpractice.
Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Goodluck Ubochi, disclosed the development in Umuahia on Tuesday through an official statement.
According to him, the restriction applies to both private and public schools across the state and forms part of wider reforms under Governor Alex Otti’s administration to improve standards and integrity in the education sector.
“All SS2 students are now required to pass a state-organised promotion examination before gaining admission into SS3. This measure is designed to ensure accountability and integrity in the education system,” Ubochi explained.
The commissioner also unveiled additional policies aimed at reducing the financial strain on parents.
He said graduation ceremonies would henceforth be limited to terminal classes — Primary 6 and SS3 — while schools must separate textbooks from workbooks to enable younger siblings to reuse them.
Furthermore, Ubochi said students registering for tertiary entrance examinations would now be required to present their Basic Education Certificates.
To encourage compliance, schools have been directed not to charge more than ₦2,000 for the issuance of Primary 6 certificates.
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“These certificates often end up abandoned by parents, but making them affordable and compulsory will ensure students keep proper records,” he noted.
Abia joins states like Anambra, Lagos, and Enugu that have introduced similar bans on mid-school transfers, a practice often linked to students seeking to evade stricter standards ahead of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and National Examinations Council (NECO) tests.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) had in 2023 highlighted rising cases of impersonation and organised malpractice rings in Nigeria, with South-East states flagged for closer monitoring.
Education in Abia has long faced challenges of underfunding, decaying infrastructure, and persistent malpractice.
The Otti administration says the new policies are part of its roadmap to restore discipline, credibility, and fairness in the system.