The Federal Government has announced plans to overhaul Nigeria’s education structure by phasing out the policy separating Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS), describing the arrangement as a major contributor to the country’s growing out-of-school children crisis.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Tuesday during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee in Abuja.
The minister said the existing structure had failed to provide a seamless transition for millions of pupils, resulting in more than 20 million children dropping out before completing senior secondary education.
Nigeria currently operates the 6-3-3-4 education system, comprising six years of primary education, three years of junior secondary education, three years of senior secondary education and a minimum of four years of tertiary education.
The framework is organised into three broad stages—Basic Education, Post-Basic/Senior Secondary Education and Tertiary Education.
However, Alausa said government findings showed that the separation of junior and senior secondary schools has created significant access gaps that prevent millions of children from progressing beyond primary education.
READ ALSO: NCC proposes free access to educational websites for Nigerian students, teachers
According to him, Nigeria has approximately 80,000 public primary schools but only about 15,000 junior secondary schools, creating a severe shortage of transition opportunities after primary education.
He explained that the policy has resulted in overcrowded junior secondary schools while many senior secondary schools remain underutilised.
The minister lamented that despite enrolling about 24 million pupils in primary schools annually, only about four million eventually complete senior secondary education.
“About 24 million children enrol in our primary schools, but only about four million complete senior secondary school. We have over 20 million children dropping out between primary school and junior secondary school. Where are those students?” he asked.
Describing the current arrangement as ineffective, Alausa said successive administrations had failed to address the structural imbalance, but assured that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was committed to reversing the trend.
“Previous governments may have failed in this regard, but this government will not fail. We are fixing this. We need to create more opportunities for children to move seamlessly through the education system.”
He cited experiences from Kaduna and several northern states, saying evidence showed that separating junior and senior secondary schools had created unnecessary administrative structures without improving educational outcomes.
“We have overflowing junior secondary schools and empty senior secondary schools. I can objectively report today that this disarticulation policy has failed. We will phase it out. We cannot continue creating administrative positions while damaging our education system. It is about doing what is best for every Nigerian child.”
The minister disclosed that the proposal to abolish the policy would be presented at the next meeting of the National Council on Education for consideration and possible adoption nationwide.
As part of efforts to improve access to quality education, Alausa inaugurated a high-powered implementation and monitoring committee chaired by education expert, Prof. Rashid Aderinoye.
The committee has been tasked with accelerating the completion, handover and operationalisation of Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools being funded by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
The minister expressed concern that despite huge public investments running into billions of naira, many of the projects remained abandoned, while several completed schools had yet to be handed over to state governments or opened for academic activities.
He described the situation as a waste of public resources and a missed opportunity to improve learning outcomes for thousands of children.
“The purpose of these schools is to educate children, not to remain locked up after completion,” Alausa said, directing the committee to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks delaying project delivery.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Mrs. Aisha Garba, said the Federal Government had made considerable progress in expanding access to basic education through its Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools initiatives.
She disclosed that 37 Smart Schools have been established across the country, with 24 already operational, while the remaining schools are at various stages of completion, furnishing and preparation for academic activities.
Garba also revealed that under the UBEC-Islamic Development Bank Bilingual Education Programme, 30 schools have been established across nine states.
According to her, three boarding schools have already been commissioned, while four others have been substantially completed and are awaiting inauguration.
She added that the Alternative Schools Programme is helping to provide flexible learning opportunities for vulnerable and out-of-school children who are unable to access conventional education.
Garba said the newly inaugurated implementation committee would oversee project execution, monitor timelines, resolve implementation challenges, ensure the prompt handover of completed projects and guarantee that government investments translate into fully functional learning institutions.
Responding on behalf of committee members, Prof. Rashid Aderinoye pledged to discharge the assignment with diligence, transparency and accountability.
He assured the Federal Government that the committee would work closely with relevant stakeholders to eliminate delays in project implementation and improve access to quality education across the country.