A digital and human rights activist, Muhammed Bello Buhari, has criticised the Federal Government’s newly announced ban on the admission and transfer of students into Senior Secondary School Three (SS3), saying the policy fails to consider the realities of insecurity and displacement in Northern Nigeria.
The Federal Ministry of Education recently announced a nationwide ban on SS3 admissions and transfers in both public and private secondary schools. The directive, contained in a press release dated December 14, 2025, was signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
According to the ministry, the decision was taken due to “growing concerns over the increasing incidence of examination malpractice, including the use of so-called special centres during external examinations.” The policy is scheduled to take effect from the 2026/2027 academic session, with the ministry stating that admission or transfer into SS3 will no longer be permitted under any circumstance.
Reacting to the announcement, Buhari, in a post shared on his Facebook page on Sunday, argued that the policy would disproportionately affect children in Northern Nigeria whose education has been disrupted by banditry, terrorism and forced displacement.
He noted that many families in the region relocate not for academic advantage, but to escape violent attacks that have destroyed communities and schools.
“In the North, most people are not moving because they are chasing special centres,” Buhari wrote. “They are moving because their villages have been attacked. Because bandits came at night. Because terrorists burnt schools.”
He explained that displacement has become a recurring reality in states such as Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Borno, Yobe, Plateau and Benue, forcing families to relocate—often in the middle of an academic session.
Buhari questioned how the policy would affect students who have completed SS2 but are forced to enroll in new schools due to insecurity, as well as SS3 students whose families are compelled to relocate.
“Now imagine an SS2 student in an IDP camp who finally gets a chance to enroll in a new school,” he said. “According to this policy, if that child advances to SS3 in a different school, it becomes illegal.”
He argued that the ban would not effectively address examination malpractice, stressing that cheating is driven by deeper systemic issues such as weak supervision, poor learning conditions and intense pressure to pass examinations.
“Stopping SS3 transfers will not stop cheating,” Buhari said. “It will only stop vulnerable students from continuing their education.”
The activist further warned that the policy could worsen the already high number of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria, where access to education is hampered by poverty, insecurity and displacement.
He urged the Federal Government to review the directive and introduce exemptions for displaced students and conflict-affected communities, insisting that education policies must reflect the lived realities of Nigerians.
“If this policy goes ahead without exemptions,” Buhari warned, “it will only deepen exclusion and inequality, and once again, the North will pay the highest price.”
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