Senate Summons Education Minister, WAEC Boss Over Sudden Changes to 2025/2026 SSCE Guidelines

The Nigerian Senate has summoned the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and the Head of the National Office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Amos Dangut, to explain the controversial introduction of new guidelines for the 2025/2026 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE). The lawmakers issued the directive during plenary after raising concerns that the revised rules had abruptly altered subject requirements for students preparing for the May/June examinations.

The move followed a motion by Senator Sunday Karimi of Kogi West, who warned that the new guidelines had imposed additional subjects on SS3 students who were never prepared for them. Karimi explained that the revised curriculum, originally intended to take effect two years from now for students currently in SS1, had been suddenly fast-tracked, compelling final-year secondary students to switch immediately to a system designed for the 2027/2028 WAEC cycle.

He argued that the directive effectively forces each SS3 student to sit for two or three extra subjects in the 2025/2026 examinations, despite not receiving prior instruction or having the necessary academic foundation. He described the action as disruptive and unfair, stressing that students should not be subjected to assessments on material they had never been taught.

Support for the motion echoed across the Senate floor. Former Edo State governor and lawmaker Adams Oshiomhole criticised the abrupt rollout, describing it as symptomatic of poor policy planning. He argued that introducing new subjects required adequate preparation, including teacher training and functional laboratories, none of which showed evidence of readiness. “We wake up and think of an idea and begin to implement it,” he said. “We should not plan in a way that will bring embarrassment to the country.”

Senator Idiat Adebule of Lagos West also expressed concern, insisting that major educational reforms typically pass through the National Council on Education to ensure proper evaluation and stakeholder engagement. She called for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding WAEC’s decision.

Senator Solomon Adeola of Ogun West added that it was unacceptable to examine students on subjects they had never been taught, emphasising that instruction must always precede assessment. He warned that such a sudden shift could jeopardise students’ performance and undermine confidence in the nation’s examination system.

After deliberations, the Senate resolved to summon the Minister of Education and the WAEC head for a public hearing with the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education. Lawmakers insisted that the government must provide clarity on the rationale behind the hurried implementation and present evidence of readiness.

The Senate further recommended that the Federal Government and WAEC exempt all current SS3 students from taking the 2025/2026 examination under the new curriculum. Instead, the updated WAEC guidelines should apply only to students currently in SS1, who would be the first group adequately prepared for the revised 2027/2028 examination cycle.

The Senate’s intervention signals growing national concern over educational policy stability and reinforces calls for reforms that prioritise student welfare and long-term academic planning.