The Federal Government has announced plans to phase out the common entrance examination taken by pupils transitioning from primary school to junior secondary school (JSS).
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed that the examination will be replaced with a Continuous Assessment (CA) system, which will track a pupil’s academic performance throughout their primary school years.
According to the minister, the new system will monitor students’ performance starting from primary one, allowing their academic records to follow them even if they change schools. This means that a pupil’s assessment record will move with them to any new school they transfer to, ensuring continuity in evaluating their academic progress.
He explained that the Continuous Assessment model is intended to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of a student’s learning journey rather than relying on a single examination at the end of primary education.
The minister also revealed that the government plans to introduce a Learner Identification Number (LIN) for all school children beginning from the primary level. The identification system will enable authorities to track students’ academic progress more effectively and improve monitoring as they advance through the education system toward senior secondary school.
In addition, the government is making efforts to revive the school feeding programme. The initiative will be transferred from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure better oversight and management.
The move is expected to help attract more pupils to public schools while strengthening monitoring and accountability within the education sector.
