The Federal Government has unveiled plans to phase out the Junior Secondary School Common Entrance Examination as part of a broader effort to reform Nigeria’s education system. In its place, authorities intend to introduce a unique identification system that will monitor pupils throughout their academic journey.

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed the proposal during a media briefing in Lagos. He explained that the reform is designed to improve access to education and ensure better monitoring of students from the early years of schooling.

Under the new approach, the traditional entrance examination will gradually be replaced with a continuous assessment model. This system will evaluate pupils based on their academic performance from primary school and allow their records to follow them even if they change schools.

According to the minister, the initiative is also aimed at addressing a major gap in the transition from primary to secondary education. He highlighted concerns over the large number of pupils who fail to move on to junior secondary school, noting that millions of children appear to drop out of the system after completing primary education.

He pointed out that while Nigeria has tens of thousands of public primary schools with over 20 million pupils, only a fraction of that number proceeds to the next level. This, he said, underscores the urgent need to expand access by building more schools and strengthening infrastructure, particularly at the state level.

To improve accountability, the government plans to introduce a Learner Identification Number for every pupil. The unique number will remain with each student throughout their education, making it easier for authorities to track progress and identify those who fall out of the system.

Officials believe the tracking system will help uncover reasons behind school dropouts and support efforts to keep more children in classrooms. In addition, the government is considering reviving the school feeding programme to encourage enrolment and retention in public schools.

The proposed measures form part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the education sector, reduce dropout rates, and ensure that more Nigerian children complete their basic education.