… JAMB admission seen prioritising mass enrolment over merit
The federal government has launched a new ‘National Policy on Non-State Schools’ to regulate, support, and standardise the operations of private and community-based educational institutions across Nigeria.
Olatunji Alausa, education minister, speaking at the launch of the policy in Abuja on Thursday, noted that the policy aims to ensure that non-state schools, including private, faith-based, charity, community schools, home schooling initiatives, and adult learning centers, adhere to national standards in infrastructure, teacher quality, curriculum delivery, and accountability.
The policy, which was approved by the National Council for Education in October 2024, was developed in collaboration with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE).
Alausa expressed concern over the rapid expansion of private education in recent years, noting that between 2017 and 2022, non-state schools grew by 39 percent, far outpacing public primary and junior secondary schools, which grew by just 3.5 percent and 6.3 percent respectively.
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“As our population continues to grow, non-state schools are helping to fill the gap. While we appreciate their role, we are determined to ensure better regulation, accountability, and support so they can deliver higher-quality education to our children,” he said.
The policy introduces national minimum standards that all non-state schools must meet, covering key areas such as teacher qualifications, learning environment safety, curriculum alignment, and data reporting. It also outlines mechanisms for formal collaboration between non-state schools and government agencies.
To encourage compliance and expand access to education, the government also announced new incentive measures. These include plans to reimburse private schools for enrolling out-of-school children starting from the 2025–2026 academic session.
Additionally, direct grants will be provided to privately owned early childhood development centres, and public-private partnerships will be pursued for the concessioning of unity schools.
“By harnessing the potential of non-state schools, we can increase access to quality education, improve learning outcomes, and promote economic growth,” he noted.
In his remarks, Ian Attfield, senior education adviser at the British High Commission, reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s education reforms and strengthening the role of non-state actors in the sector.
“With rapid urbanisation from 250,000 residents in 1960 to over 15 million today, Lagos and other cities have witnessed mushrooming education providers beyond government reach. Regulation is not only timely, it’s essential,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Saleh Adamu, who represented the Coalition of Non-State Schools, welcomed the new policy and called for sustained collaboration between government and private stakeholders to enhance education delivery across the country.
Ronke Soyombo, registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), revealed that over 85 percent of those currently teaching in non-state schools are not registered professionals.
“TRCN is taking concrete steps to simplify and expand registration processes nationwide, ensuring that qualified teachers support learning across all sectors,” Soyombo said.
Falling education standards
Analysts argue that the federal government’s move is geared towards arresting poor education standards.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) released a sobering set of statistics from the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in May, revealing that more than 70 percent of candidates scored below 200 out of the total 400 marks.
Despite the flaws of the exam body in the 2025 UTME, analysts say the failure rate was nevertheless high.
Out of the 1.9 million candidates who sat for the 2025 UTME, a staggering 1.3 million, roughly 70.7 percent, failed to hit the 200-mark threshold, according to data released by the examination body.
Only 565,988 candidates, or 29.3 percent, scored above 200, while a mere 6 percent managed to cross the 250-point mark.
Also, no Nigerian university was listed in the top 100 of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings for 2026.
The rankings were based on academic and employer reputation, faculty, research citation counts, international student diversity, international research network, employment outcomes, and sustainability.
Similarly, only Covenant University and the University of Ibadan made the Times Higher Education ranking of 1000 universities in 2024.
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Faulty JAMB priorities
The falling standards have been worsened by the newly unveiled admission policy into tertiary and higher institutions of learning recently unveiled by JAMB.
JAMB revised the cut-off mark to 150 and increased institutions’ autonomy to determine their admission criteria.
This was aimed to increase candidates’ access to higher education, but it raises questions about the potential impact on the country’s education standards.
Stakeholders believe that with the minimum score of 150/400, which amounts to 37.5 percent for university admission, JAMB’s emphasis seems to be to get as many people into universities as possible, rather than these institutions being places for the academically most able and qualified candidates.
Busayo Aderonmu, a senior lecturer at Covenant University, Ota, described the lowering of the bar as a bad omen for the education sector, noting that it amounts to watering down the standard.
“If we look at the 150 cut-off mark, which is 37.5 percent of the total score obtainable on the grade, it is an F.
A pass mark of E starts from 45 percent.
“This implies that we’re devaluing the education standard by approving a 37.5 percent score for admission into tertiary institutions,” she said.
In the face of the watering down syndrome adopted by the JAMB, some experts believe that it is similar to the old system of the Higher School Certificate (HSC) arrangement.
Some stakeholders argue that Nigeria should aim to produce graduates for the international job market and not just for the local market, as seen in countries such as India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea, among others.
For these countries, it is a deliberate policy, such that to get into their top universities, only top most grades can qualify one for admission.
Almost all the top institutions in these countries are public, and not private ones, analysts say.
Nubi Achebo, director of academic planning at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM), said the decline in Nigeria’s education standard, which is reflected in lower JAMB cut-off mark, is a pressing concern.
Achebo blamed the decline to inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and shortage of qualified teachers, among others.
“Insufficient allocation of resources to the education sector hinders the development of infrastructure, recruitment of qualified teachers, and provision of necessary learning materials.
“Many schools lack functional facilities, including classrooms, libraries, and laboratories, making it difficult for students to learn effectively. Besides, the teaching profession is often unattractive due to poor working conditions and low remuneration, leading to a shortage of qualified educators,” he said.
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Potential solutions
Achebo urged the government to allocate a larger share of the national budget to education to improve infrastructure, recruit qualified teachers, and provide necessary resources.
He also advocated for curriculum review, better teacher welfare scheme and investment in technology, among others.
“Improving teacher welfare, including remuneration and working conditions can attract and retain qualified educators. And a review of the curriculum will make education more relevant and effective in equipping students with modern essential skills.
“Integrating technology into the education system can enhance learning outcomes and prepare students for the digital age. Nigeria can reverse the declining trend in its education,” he noted.
