FG Scraps Common Entrance, Public Eager to See Schools Track Every Child’s Progress
The Federal Government has announced plans to scrap the Junior Secondary School Common Entrance Examination and introduce a Learner Identification Number (LIN) to track pupils from primary school through their academic journey. Minister of Education Tunji Alausa disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos on Saturday.
According to the Minister, the reforms aim to improve access to education, monitor student progression, and address the high number of pupils who fail to transition from primary to junior secondary school. “It will be replaced by Continuous Assessment (CA), which will reflect a pupil’s performance from primary one and travel with them even if they transfer schools,” Alausa explained.
Data from the Ministry shows that while over 23 million pupils are enrolled in public primary schools across more than 50,000 schools nationwide, only about 3 million move on to public junior secondary schools, highlighting a significant gap in access and retention. The LIN system is designed to monitor these pupils, identify dropouts, and ensure timely interventions.
In addition, the Ministry is working to revive the school feeding program to further boost enrolment and retention, and has urged state governments to invest in building more schools to accommodate all children.
While the announcement has been welcomed, members of the public are eager to see how these reforms will be implemented on the ground. Observers note that success will depend on proper execution, including consistent use of the LIN system, training of educators, and effective monitoring to ensure no child is left behind.
The focus is clear: these initiatives can only fulfill their promise if they translate into tangible action, guaranteeing every child access to quality education and the opportunity to develop their full potential. The conversation is now shifting from policy announcement to ensuring accountability and effective implementation.
