National Examination Council (NECO) Bill, 2023 Passed | READ DETAILS

Specifically, the bill seeks to repeal NECO and enact the National Examinations Council for the purpose of making the National Common Entrance Examinations (NCEE), the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), as well as the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (Internal) (SSCE) (1) compulsory for every Nigerian child and for other related matters.

The urge to repeal the old Act is an idea borne out of the need to strengthen the National Examination Council to enable it shoulder the burden of delivering, not only standard examinations that are competitive in nature, but also to meet with the best practice the world over.

According to the motion, the attention was more on section 7 of the act.

Subsection 7 (c) should be amended to read: "the general control and conduct of the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) which shall be mandatory for all Nigerian pupils in the final year of their primary education who seek admission into the Federal Government Colleges and other allied institutions; and every Nigerian child resident outside Nigeria who desires to register and sit for the said examination.

Alteration of Sections 7 and subsections (d) and (f) by replacing "Suleja AcademyÔÇØ with "Federal Government Academy, SulejaÔÇØ and replicating the same wherever Suleja Academy appears in the Act.

Alteration of Section 7 subsection (g) by striking out "Junior Secondary School Certificate ExaminationÔÇØ and inserting "Basic Education Certificate ExaminationÔÇØ; and replicating the same wherever Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination appears in the entire Act, the explanatory note(s), the schedule thereto and all other relevant parts.

Amendment in the entire structure of section 7 subsection (g) to read: "the general control and conduct of the Basic Education Certificate Examination which shall be compulsory for all Nigerian students in the final year of Junior Secondary School in Federal Government Colleges, Federal Government Academy, Suleja, all public and private secondary schools in Nigeria; and every Nigerian child resident outside Nigeria who desires to register and sit for the said examination in line with the objectives of the National Policy on Education.