Education commission give state 1-year ultimatum to implement new minimum standards for senior secondary schools

The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) has given states a one-year ultimatum to implement the new minimum standards for senior secondary schools.

The NSSEC executive secretary, Iyela Ajayi, announced this on Monday, December 1 in Abuja.

He commended the support of the minister of education, Maruf Alausa, and the minister of state for education, Suwaiba Ahmad, noting that the commission is working to overhaul the quality, structure, and accountability of senior secondary education nationwide.

Ajayi highlighted the rollout of the National Minimum Standards for Secondary Education (NMSSE) launched in February as one of NSSEC’s major achievements.

The standards outline requirements for teachers’ qualifications, teacher student ratios, infrastructure, and overall learning conditions in schools.

He said all states have been issued the standards and given a 12-month compliance window, after which the commission will begin enforcement inspections.

“We cannot continue with a situation where students learn under trees or in classrooms without roofs. Those days must end,” he said.

The commission is also working to improve teacher quality through continuous professional development, including English and Mathematics training, and capacity building for AI-powered teaching methods.

On curriculum reform, Ajayi said NSSEC has contributed to recent changes, such as the return of History as a subject, reduction of curriculum overload, and expansion of skill-based learning.

Despite limited funding, he said NSSEC has supported upgrades in 50 senior secondary schools one per state through constituency projects, including new classrooms, laboratories, and Information Communications Technology (ICT) facilities.

Ajayi also disclosed ongoing talks with telecom companies for subsidised broadband for schools and partnerships aimed at providing 30,000 tablets for teachers.

Plans are also underway to make computer literacy compulsory and expand instruction in robotics, AI, and data science.

He noted, however, that the commission’s work is hampered by lack of funding, despite a legal provision for 2% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).