The Ondo State Government has banned the practice of promoting pupils from Primary 4 directly to secondary school as part of measures to restore compliance with Nigeria’s 6-3-3-4 education structure. The state also announced plans to intensify its crackdown on examination “miracle centres” and unregistered private schools ahead of the new academic session.
Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Igbekele Ajibefun, disclosed the new measures during a meeting with education stakeholders in Akure on Thursday. The meeting was held ahead of the resumption of schools in the state next week, with the government using the occasion to outline policies expected to take effect from the new academic year.
Ajibefun said the premature movement of pupils from primary school into secondary education was undermining the quality of learning by depriving children of two years of foundational education.
According to him, Nigeria’s education policy provides for six years of primary education, followed by three years of junior secondary education and three years of senior secondary education.
The commissioner said some schools had been bypassing the structure by moving pupils from Primary 4 directly into secondary school, a practice he described as harmful to their educational foundation. He explained that pupils who lose two years of primary-level learning may enter secondary school without acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to cope with more advanced academic work.
The state government is particularly concerned that some inadequately prepared pupils are subsequently registered for state and national examinations despite lacking the necessary academic foundation. Ajibefun linked the problem to examination malpractice, noting that students who struggle because of weak foundations may eventually resort to cheating when they reach examinations such as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
He said the government would therefore enforce the requirement that pupils complete Primary Six before proceeding to secondary school.
However, the policy does not completely eliminate accelerated learning for exceptional pupils, as the commissioner clarified that academically qualified children could still benefit from double promotion.
He stressed that such accelerated promotion must be based on genuine academic ability rather than being applied indiscriminately to entire classes. The government also declared that it would intensify monitoring of examination “miracle centres” across the state in an effort to eliminate locations where examination malpractice is facilitated.
Ajibefun said officials would investigate suspected centres and take action against facilities found to be involved in examination fraud.
The commissioner further disclosed plans to tackle the proliferation of private schools operating without proper registration or documentation from the government.
According to him, the number of unregistered private schools in the state may be higher than that of registered schools, with some allegedly operating from single rooms and sheds without being captured in official records.
The government said such schools would be subjected to greater scrutiny as part of efforts to improve standards across the education sector.
The new measures are expected to affect both public and private schools, with the commissioner warning institutions against violating the national education structure.
The government’s position is that maintaining the prescribed progression through primary and secondary education will give pupils adequate time to develop the academic foundation required for higher levels of learning.
The policy also comes at a time when concerns over examination malpractice and declining educational standards remain prominent issues within Nigeria’s education system. By targeting premature promotion alongside examination centres and unregistered schools, Ondo State is seeking to address several points in the education chain that officials believe contribute to poor learning outcomes.
The commissioner said the ministry had identified several issues requiring corrective action and that many of the new policies would begin taking effect from the 2026/27 academic year. For parents, the development means children in Ondo State will generally be expected to complete the full six years of primary education before moving into secondary school, except where a pupil qualifies for approved double promotion, Schools have also been put on notice that the government intends to monitor compliance more closely as the new academic session begins.
The state government hopes that enforcing the education structure, eliminating examination malpractice centres and addressing unregistered schools will strengthen the foundation of learning for children across Ondo State.