Students in their final year face uncertainty as WAEC introduces revised subjects for 2026 exams, sparking confusion among parents and guardians.
Students at the Nigeria Air Force Secondary School in Ikeja, Lagos, are facing heightened anxiety after the school announced new subject offerings for the 2026 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
A communique obtained by TheCable on Saturday November 8, 2025, addressed to parents, revealed that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has introduced revised subject requirements for students preparing for the SSCE. The changes reportedly affect students who have not previously taken the newly mandated subjects but are set to sit for the exams in less than six months.
The announcement has caused widespread concern among students, parents, and guardians, who are seeking clarification on how the adjustments will be implemented. Many students worry about the feasibility of learning new subjects on short notice, while parents question the timing and communication of the policy.
Nigeria recently launched a new basic and secondary education curriculum, scheduled for implementation in the 2025/2026 academic year. The reform aims to reduce subject overload while integrating contemporary skills such as digital literacy and entrepreneurship. It also reintroduced history as a standalone subject at the basic education level.
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According to the Ministry of Education, the revised curriculum is designed to be introduced at the beginning of each three-year education cycle, applying initially to incoming students in Primary 1, Primary 4, JSS1, and SS1. Students already in the middle of each cycle were expected to complete the old curriculum, which would gradually be phased out.
However, the communique from the Lagos school suggests a departure from this approach, with WAEC seemingly applying the new subject offerings to students who were not originally taught them.
Efforts to clarify the matter remain ongoing. Calls and messages to Moyosola Adesina, spokesperson for WAEC, had not been returned at the time of reporting. Folashade Boriowo, press director at the Ministry of Education, told TheCable that only WAEC could provide guidance on how the new curriculum will be implemented in the upcoming SSCE.
The lack of official guidance has left families in limbo, raising questions about the readiness of students to meet the new requirements and highlighting broader challenges in communicating educational reforms.
As the 2026 WASSCE approaches, the situation underscores the tension between educational policy reforms and practical implementation, particularly for students already midway through their secondary education.