Goodluck Ubochi, the state’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education has revealed in a statement released on Tuesday in Umuahia, the plans of the Abia State Government to implement a policy that prohibits students from switching schools between Senior Secondary 2 (SS2) and Senior Secondary 3 classes (SS3).
He said this policy is part of a set of reforms aimed at curbing examination malpractice mentioning that the ban applies to both public and private schools,
The statement read, “All SS2 students are now required to pass a state-organised promotion examination to be admitted into SS3. This measure is designed to ensure accountability and integrity in the education system.”
On the restriction of basic school graduation ceremonies, the commissioner said only terminal classes, specifically primary 6 and SS3 will hold these ceremonies to ease the financial burden on parents.
Schools are now required to separate textbooks from workbooks to allow younger siblings to reuse textbooks, further reducing costs for families. Ubochi said.
He stated that the government has also made it compulsory for students enrolling for tertiary school qualifying exams to present their basic education certificates, to facilitate this, schools have been instructed not to charge more than N2,000 for the primary 6 certificates.
The latest policy is part of Governor Alex Otti’s broader reforms in Abia’s education sector, which has in recent years struggled with underfunding, dilapidated infrastructure, and reports of widespread examination malpractice.
