The Nigerian government plans to phase out the long-standing policy separating Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS), following official data indicating that more than 20 million pupils drop out before reaching senior secondary education.
Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa announced the policy shift on Tuesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee, describing the existing arrangement as ineffective and detrimental to student progression.
According to Alausa, the policy requiring junior and senior secondary schools to operate independently—with separate principals, management structures and facilities—has contributed to low transition rates and inefficient use of educational infrastructure.
“We have 20 million dropouts from primary school to junior secondary school. Where are those students?” the minister said.
He noted that Nigeria has approximately 80,000 public primary schools but only about 15,000 junior secondary schools, creating what he described as a one-to-eight imbalance that has resulted in overcrowded junior secondary schools while many senior secondary facilities remain underutilised.
The minister cited Kaduna and several northern states as examples where the mismatch has become particularly pronounced.
Alausa said the proposal to abolish the separation policy will be presented at the next meeting of the National Council on Education, Nigeria’s highest education policymaking body.
“This disarticulation policy has failed. We will phase it out,” he said, adding that education reforms should prioritize learning outcomes rather than administrative structures.
The government expects the reform to improve student retention, ease the transition from basic to secondary education and make more efficient use of existing school infrastructure.
At the same event, the minister inaugurated a committee chaired by Prof. Rashid Aderinoye to oversee the implementation and monitoring of UBEC-funded Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools across the country.
The committee has been tasked with ensuring that completed projects are handed over to state governments and opened for academic activities.
Alausa said numerous UBEC-funded schools remain unfinished or have yet to admit students despite significant public investment, describing the situation as an inefficient use of government resources.
Nigeria has one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children, with millions of school-age children—particularly in rural, low-income and conflict-affected communities—remaining outside the formal education system.
Education analysts say improving enrolment and completion rates will require not only expanding school infrastructure but also ensuring that facilities are fully operational, adequately staffed and accessible to learners.
The proposed policy reversal represents one of the most significant structural reforms to Nigeria’s basic education system in recent years and forms part of broader government efforts to improve educational outcomes, strengthen human capital development and support long-term economic growth.
