FG to Scrap JSS, SSS Separation Over 20 Million Secondary School Dropouts

 

The Federal Government has ordered an immediate overhaul of Nigeria’s foundational education structure following revelations that more than 20 million children drop out of school between primary enrollment and senior secondary completion.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the sweeping policy shift in Abuja during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee.

Nigeria’s formal education framework, generally referred to as the 6-3-3-4 system, consists of six years of primary education, three years of junior secondary, three years of senior secondary, and a minimum of four years of tertiary education.

This structure divides basic and post-basic learning into separate tiers. However, Dr. Alausa stated that the policy separating Junior Secondary Schools from Senior Secondary Schools has completely failed and has directly contributed to the alarming number of out-of-school children across the nation.

Government findings show a massive transition gap within the current system. While Nigeria possesses about 80,000 public primary schools, it has only about 15,000 junior secondary schools, a deficit that leaves millions of children stranded after completing their primary education.

According to the minister, the policy requiring these secondary arms to operate as separate institutions has worsened access to education by overcrowding junior secondary classrooms while leaving many senior secondary facilities underutilized.

Pointing to evidence from Kaduna and several other northern states, he criticized previous administrations for creating unnecessary administrative structures at the expense of the students.

Reflecting on the crisis, Dr. Alausa stated that about 24 million children enroll in primary schools, but only about 4 million of them complete senior secondary, leaving over 20 million children dropping out between primary school and junior secondary school.

He questioned where those students had gone and noted that while previous governments may have failed in this regard, the current administration would not fail to fix it.

He emphasized the need to create more opportunities for children to move seamlessly through the education system, noting that the country currently has overflowing junior secondary schools alongside empty senior secondary schools.

He objectively reported that the disarticulation policy has failed and announced that it would be phased out, asserting that the government cannot continue creating administrative positions while damaging the education system, and must instead focus on what is best for every Nigerian child.

To formalize this structural shift, the minister disclosed that the proposal to abolish the separation policy will be presented at the next meeting of the National Council on Education for official consideration.

In tandem with the policy change, Dr. Alausa inaugurated a high-powered committee chaired by renowned education expert Professor Rashid Aderinoye.

This committee is tasked with fast-tracking the completion, handover, and operationalization of hundreds of Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools, and Alternative Schools funded by the Universal Basic Education Commission across the country.

The minister lamented that despite huge public investments, many of these specialized facilities remain abandoned, while several completed projects have yet to be handed over to state governments or opened for academic activities.

Describing the situation as a waste of scarce public resources and a denial of learning opportunities for thousands of Nigerian children, he charged the committee to eliminate implementation bottlenecks, stating that the purpose of these schools is to educate children, not to remain locked up after completion.

Speaking earlier at the event, the Executive Secretary of the commission, Aisha Garba, noted that the Federal Government had recorded significant progress in expanding access to quality basic education through these specialized school programmes. She disclosed that 37 Smart Schools have been established nationwide, with 24 already in operation and the remaining facilities at various stages of completion, furnishing, and academic readiness.

Furthermore, under the commission’s bilingual education partnership with the Islamic Development Bank, 30 schools have been established across nine states, with three boarding schools already commissioned and four others substantially completed.

Garba added that the Alternative Schools Programme is actively expanding access for vulnerable and out-of-school populations through flexible, inclusive models.

She explained that the newly inaugurated committee will oversee project execution, ensure timely handovers, resolve field challenges, and guarantee that government investments translate into fully functional learning centres.

Responding on behalf of the committee, Professor Rashid Aderinoye pledged that members would carry out their assignment with diligence, transparency, and accountability. He assured the ministry that they would work tirelessly to remove the obstacles delaying project delivery and ultimately help improve access to quality basic education across Nigeria.

 

 

Credit: Sentinel news