FG to scrap common entrance exams

The Federal Government has announced plans to abolish the Junior Secondary School Common Entrance Examination and replace it with a Learner Identification Number (LIN) to track pupils throughout their academic journey.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos on Saturday.

According to the Minister, the reforms are aimed at improving access to education, addressing gaps in the transition from primary to secondary school, and ensuring that authorities can monitor students’ progress across the country.

“The Common Entrance Examination will be phased out and replaced by Continuous Assessment (CA), which will reflect a pupil’s performance from Primary One,” Alausa explained. “Even if a pupil transfers from one school to another, the assessment moves with them.”

The Minister highlighted a worrying gap in public school education, noting that out of over 23 million pupils enrolled in more than 50,000 public primary schools, only about 3 million transition to junior secondary school in public institutions. “Where are the other 20 million?” he asked, stressing the urgent need to expand access.

To address tracking challenges, the government will introduce a unique Learner Identification Number for each pupil. “This number will stay with the child throughout their schooling, allowing authorities to monitor progress and quickly identify students who drop out,” Alausa said.

He added that state governments must build more schools to accommodate the growing number of pupils, while private schools alone cannot solve the access problem.

The Minister also revealed plans to revive the school feeding programme, which may be moved to the Federal Ministry of Education for better monitoring and to boost public school enrolment.

These reforms are part of broader government efforts to strengthen the education sector, improve student retention, and ensure that more Nigerian children complete their basic education.