Abuja, October 30, 2026 – The Federal Government is moving ahead with plans to phase out the National Common Entrance Examination used for admitting pupils into Junior Secondary School (JSS), replacing it with continuous assessment and a unique Learner Identification Number (LIN) to track every child’s academic journey.
Minister of Education Tunji Alausa announced the reform during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos. He said the high-stakes examination would be abolished in favour of a continuous assessment system that reflects a pupil’s performance from Primary One.
“It will be replaced by Continuous Assessment (CA). The CA will reflect the performance of the pupil from primary one. Even if a pupil is transferring from one school to another, he will take his record along to his new school,” Alausa stated.
The minister highlighted a major gap in the education system: more than 23 million pupils are enrolled in over 50,000 public primary schools nationwide, yet only about three million transition into public junior secondary schools.
“Where are the other 20 million?” Alausa asked, stressing the urgent need to improve access and reduce dropout rates between primary and secondary levels.
To address tracking challenges, the government will introduce a unique Learner Identification Number for every child from the primary school level. The number will remain with the pupil regardless of school transfers, enabling authorities to monitor progress, identify dropouts early, and ensure academic records move seamlessly with the student.
Officials say the reforms aim to improve access to education, provide a more holistic evaluation of pupils over six years rather than a single high-stakes test, reduce examination anxiety and the culture of intensive coaching, and better align practice with the original intent of the 9-3-4 education system introduced nearly two decades ago.
The 9-3-4 structure was designed to guarantee nine years of uninterrupted basic education by merging primary and junior secondary schooling, theoretically eliminating barriers such as entrance examinations. However, many states continued conducting common entrance tests, and the policy has faced criticism for weak implementation.
The planned scrapping has drawn mixed reactions from education stakeholders. Some welcome the shift toward continuous assessment and digital tracking as a progressive step that could ease pressure on young learners and improve data for policy-making.
Others have raised strong concerns. Retired educationist and former Principal of King’s College, Lagos, Otunba Oladele Olapeju, described the plan as potentially unfeasible and more of a political statement than a well-thought-out reform. He warned that relying solely on school-based continuous assessment could open the door to manipulation, especially given intense competition for places in federal unity colleges.
Critics also argue that scrapping the examination will not address deeper challenges in the sector, including poor infrastructure, inadequate funding, teacher shortages, and declining learning outcomes. Some private school operators and administrators note that the common entrance has already lost much of its influence among elite private institutions, which often run their own admission processes.
As of late 2026, the Federal Ministry of Education has not announced a firm implementation timeline for the full phase-out. Stakeholders continue to call for careful planning, robust monitoring mechanisms, and complementary investments in basic education infrastructure to ensure the reforms deliver genuine improvements rather than new vulnerabilities.
The proposal forms part of broader efforts by the Tinubu administration to overhaul aspects of Nigeria’s education system and expand access at the foundational level.
About the Author
