Abia State Clamps Down on Senior Secondary Transfers to Curb Exam Malpractice

The Abia State Government has announced a ban on mid-school transfers for students moving from Senior Secondary 2 (SS2) to Senior Secondary 3 (SS3), in a bid to tackle examination malpractice and restore discipline in schools.

Goodluck Ubochi, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, disclosed the policy on Tuesday in Umuahia, stressing that it applies to both public and private schools across the state.

“All SS2 students are now required to pass a state-organised promotion examination to advance to SS3. This measure is designed to strengthen accountability and integrity in the education system,” he said.

The commissioner also addressed basic school graduation ceremonies, noting that they will now be limited to terminal classes—Primary 6 and SS3—to reduce financial pressure on parents. Schools are further required to separate textbooks from workbooks to allow siblings to reuse materials, cutting costs for families.

To streamline access to tertiary school qualifying exams, students must now present their basic education certificates. Schools have been instructed not to charge more than N2,000 for Primary 6 certificates, addressing concerns that many certificates are often left unused.

The policy is part of Governor Alex Otti’s wider educational reforms, targeting underfunding, dilapidated infrastructure, and malpractice that have long plagued Abia’s schools. Similar restrictions on mid-school transfers have been adopted in Anambra, Lagos, and Enugu to prevent students from moving to schools perceived as less strict ahead of critical exams like the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and National Examinations Council tests.

In 2023, the West African Examinations Council flagged numerous cases of impersonation and syndicate-driven malpractice, with South-East states among those placed under heightened scrutiny.

Abia State’s latest move signals a determined effort to curb malpractice, promote transparency, and ease the financial burden on families while restoring credibility to the education system.