States Given One Year to Implement New Senior Secondary School Standards – NSSEC
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) has given all state governments a one-year deadline to fully implement the newly approved minimum standards for senior secondary schools nationwide.
Executive Secretary, NSSEC, Dr Iyela Ajayi announced the directive in a statement issued Monday, stressing that the grace period will end after 12 months, after which the Commission is legally empowered to enforce compliance.
Launched in February, the new standards outline minimum requirements on teacher qualifications, teacher–student ratios, school infrastructure, safety measures, and technology integration. Ajayi said NSSEC would not tolerate continued poor learning conditions in public schools.
He confirmed that nationwide enforcement visits would begin as soon as the deadline expires, adding that the Commission has already initiated several training programmes aimed at improving teacher capacity.
Despite limited resources, Ajayi said NSSEC has supported infrastructural upgrades in 50 senior secondary schools. He also revealed that the Commission is partnering with telecom companies and development partners to enhance digital access, including plans to distribute 30,000 tablets to teachers.
Ajayi highlighted funding as the Commission’s biggest challenge. Although the NSSEC Act allocates 2% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for its interventions, he said no releases have been made so far.
He warned that without adequate funding, efforts to improve school quality, learning outcomes, and teacher effectiveness will remain slow.
“Improving senior secondary education is not optional; it is urgent,” Ajayi said.
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