The Federal Government has announced plans to scrap out the policy separating Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS), describing the arrangement as a failed experiment that has contributed to Nigeria’s growing education crisis.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the announcement on Tuesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee.
According to the minister, the policy, which requires junior and senior secondary schools to operate as separate institutions with different administrations, has led to overcrowded junior secondary schools while many senior secondary schools remain underutilised. He argued that the arrangement has limited access to education and contributed to the country’s alarming number of out-of-school children.
Alausa revealed that more than 20 million children fail to progress from primary school to junior secondary school, noting that the imbalance in educational infrastructure is a major factor. He explained that while Nigeria has about 80,000 public primary schools, there are only about 15,000 junior secondary schools, creating a significant gap in the transition to higher levels of education.
He also criticised the administrative structure created by the policy, saying it prioritised the creation of leadership positions over the educational needs of students. Citing data from Kaduna and other northern states, he noted that many junior secondary schools are operating beyond capacity, while neighbouring senior secondary schools have excess space because both institutions are managed separately.
Describing the policy as ineffective, the minister said the Federal Government would present a proposal to abolish it at the next meeting of the National Council on Education as part of broader reforms aimed at improving access to quality education.
Alausa also inaugurated a high-level implementation and monitoring committee, chaired by Professor Rashid Aderinoye, to oversee the completion and operationalisation of Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools funded by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
He expressed concern that despite substantial government investment in these projects, many remain incomplete, while several completed schools have yet to be handed over to state governments or integrated into their education systems. He described the situation as a waste of public resources and a missed opportunity to improve learning outcomes for thousands of children.
Earlier, UBEC Executive Secretary Aisha Garba highlighted progress made under the commission’s education initiatives. She disclosed that 37 Smart Schools have been established across the country, with 24 already in operation, while the remaining schools are at various stages of completion and preparation for academic activities.
Garba further revealed that the UBEC–Islamic Development Bank Bilingual Education Programme has delivered 30 schools across nine participating states. Three boarding schools have already been completed and commissioned, while four others are awaiting commissioning.
She added that the Alternative Schools Programme continues to expand educational opportunities for out-of-school children through flexible and inclusive learning models.
According to Garba, the newly inaugurated ministerial committee will monitor project implementation, address bottlenecks, facilitate the timely completion and handover of schools, and ensure that government investments translate into fully functional learning institutions.
