The Federal Government has announced plans to abolish the long-standing separation between Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) as part of sweeping reforms aimed at tackling Nigeria’s growing education crisis, following revelations that over 20 million pupils fail to progress to senior secondary education.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed the proposed reform in Abuja during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee. He described the existing structure as ineffective, saying it has contributed significantly to the country’s high school dropout rate.
According to the minister, Nigeria currently has about 80,000 public primary schools but only about 15,000 junior secondary schools, creating a major gap in the transition from primary to secondary education.
He noted that the shortage of JSS facilities has left millions of children without access to continued education, while many senior secondary schools remain underutilised.
Alausa said the current policy, which separates junior and senior secondary schools under different administrative structures, has failed to deliver the intended educational outcomes.
He stressed that the government is determined to replace the arrangement with a more integrated system that will allow students to move seamlessly from junior to senior secondary education.
He explained that the proposed reform is designed to improve access to education, reduce dropout rates, make better use of existing school infrastructure and strengthen learning outcomes across the country.
The minister also expressed concern over Nigeria’s worsening learning crisis, revealing that a large percentage of children in basic education are unable to read and comprehend age-appropriate texts, underscoring the urgent need for reforms in the education sector.
As part of the broader initiative, the Federal Government inaugurated a ministerial implementation and monitoring committee to oversee key UBEC intervention projects, including Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools.
The committee has been tasked with ensuring the timely completion and effective utilisation of the projects to improve access to quality education.
If approved by the National Council on Education, the policy will mark one of the most significant reforms of Nigeria’s secondary education system in decades and is expected to enhance school retention, improve educational access and reduce the number of out of school children nationwide.
