The Federal Government has announced plans to phase out the long-standing separation between Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) and Senior Secondary Schools (SSS), describing the current structure as a major contributor to Nigeria’s worsening school dropout crisis. The proposed reform is aimed at creating a more seamless transition through secondary education and improving access for millions of children.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee in Abuja, Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa revealed that more than 20 million pupils who begin primary education never make it to senior secondary school. According to him, Nigeria currently has about 80,000 public primary schools but only around 15,000 junior secondary schools, creating severe overcrowding and limiting progression for learners.
Alausa said the policy requiring separate administration of JSS and SSS has failed to achieve its original objective. He noted that in several states, junior secondary schools are overstretched while senior secondary schools remain underutilised because of the artificial division between the two levels. The government believes merging them into a continuous structure will remove administrative bottlenecks and improve retention.
The proposal will be presented to the National Council on Education, the country’s highest education policy-making body, for consideration and approval. Officials say the reform forms part of a broader effort to strengthen basic education, reduce learning poverty and ensure more Nigerian children complete secondary school. The government is also pushing greater use of digital learning tools and improved school infrastructure as part of the wider education overhaul.
If approved, the reform would mark one of the biggest structural changes to Nigeria’s education system in decades, with the Federal Government insisting the focus must remain on improving learning outcomes rather than maintaining outdated administrative arrangements.
