By Peace Udugba
The Federal Government has announced plans to phase out the long-standing policy separating Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS), following findings that more than 20 million children fail to transition from primary to secondary education.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed the proposed policy on Tuesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee.
Alausa said the ministry’s assessment revealed that the policy, popularly known as the disarticulation policy, has failed to achieve its objectives and has instead widened the gap in access to secondary education.
According to him, Nigeria has about 80,000 public primary schools but only about 15,000 junior secondary schools, creating a significant imbalance that hinders the progression of millions of pupils.
“We have over 20 million children dropping out between primary school and junior secondary school. Where are those students? We also found that we have 80,000 public primary schools and only about 15,000 junior secondary schools. That is a one-to-eight ratio,” the minister said.
He explained that the disparity has resulted in overcrowded junior secondary schools, while many senior secondary schools remain underutilised in several parts of the country, including Kaduna and other northern states.
Describing the policy as ineffective, Alausa said the government had resolved to discontinue it in order to improve access to quality education.
“This disarticulation policy has failed. We will phase it out. We cannot continue creating administrative positions at the expense of our education system. The priority is to do what is best for every Nigerian child,” he stated.
The minister said the proposal would be presented at the next meeting of the National Council on Education for consideration and approval.
He noted that the planned reform is part of broader efforts to improve transition rates, reduce the number of out-of-school children, and strengthen learning outcomes nationwide.
Expressing optimism about the government’s education agenda, Alausa said the current administration was committed to reversing the challenges confronting the sector.
“This government will not fail. We are fixing it,” he said.
The minister also inaugurated a Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee to oversee UBEC-funded Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools across the country.
The committee, chaired by Prof. Rashid Aderinoye, has been tasked with monitoring the completion, handover and operationalisation of the projects to ensure they begin admitting learners.
Alausa lamented that despite substantial investments by UBEC in the construction of the schools, many remain incomplete or have yet to commence academic activities, describing the situation as an unacceptable waste of public resources.
Nigeria continues to face one of the world’s highest out-of-school children populations, with millions of school-age children, particularly those in rural and conflict-affected communities, still lacking access to formal education.
The Federal Government expressed confidence that restructuring the secondary school system, alongside completing and fully utilising existing educational infrastructure, would significantly improve access to education and reduce the country’s growing dropout rate.
