Abia Government Bans Mid-School Transfers for Senior Students in New Education Reforms

The Abia State Government has introduced a new policy banning transfers for students in Senior Secondary 2 (SS2) and Senior Secondary 3 (SS3) across public and private schools. The measure, announced on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Goodluck Ubochi, in Umuahia, is part of reforms designed to tackle examination malpractice and strengthen accountability in the education sector.

Ubochi explained that students in SS2 will now be required to sit for and pass a state-organised promotion examination before progressing to SS3. The government also issued new directives affecting school activities and costs. Graduation ceremonies will now be limited to primary 6 and SS3 students, a move intended to ease the financial strain on parents. Schools have been instructed to separate textbooks from workbooks so that textbooks can be reused by younger siblings.

In addition, the commissioner directed that students registering for qualifying examinations into tertiary institutions must present their basic education certificates. Schools are barred from charging more than ₦2,000 for the issuance of primary 6 certificates, with Ubochi noting that many of these documents are often neglected, leading to poor record-keeping.

The reforms are part of Governor Alex Otti’s broader education policy agenda aimed at restoring credibility to a sector long troubled by underfunding, inadequate infrastructure, and widespread malpractice. Abia now joins states such as Anambra, Lagos, and Enugu, which have already implemented restrictions on mid-school transfers to curb the practice of students switching to less strict schools ahead of major external exams.

The move comes amid heightened scrutiny from the West African Examinations Council, which in 2023 flagged widespread impersonation and syndicate-driven malpractice across Nigeria, with the South-East among the regions identified for closer monitoring. Abia’s new policy underscores the state’s commitment to improving discipline and integrity in its schools.