The Federal Government has announced that secondary schools will no longer be allowed to serve as centres for public examinations unless their teachers are certified by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). According to the minister, the move is aimed at raising professionalism in the teaching sector and ensuring that only qualified teachers are engaged in schools where major examinations take place. From 2027, schools will only be accredited to host examinations such as WASSCE, NABTEB, NECO, and NBIAS if their teachers are registered with the TRCN.
The timeline begins with WASSCE in March 2027, followed by NABTEB in May, while both NECO and SAISSCE will take effect from June 2027.
Any school that fails to meet this requirement will not be approved as an examination centre.
The directive also places responsibility on state governments to ensure both public and private schools comply within the next two years.
By 2026, schools are expected to record at least 75% compliance, with full compliance required by 2027.
To help teachers without education degrees but with at least one year of classroom experience, the minister pointed to the National Teachers Institute (NTI), which provides short professional courses lasting between three and six months.
Completion of the programme allows teachers to register with the TRCN and obtain the necessary license.
The federal government urged schools, teachers, and other stakeholders to take the directive seriously to avoid disruption in the accreditation process for future public examinations.