Federal Government Denies Scrapping JSS, SSS in Education Reform Proposal

The Federal Ministry of Education has responded to reports suggesting the abolition of Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) in favor of a new 12-year uninterrupted basic education system.

Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, addressed these claims on Friday, clarifying that the federal government has not scrapped the current secondary school structure. The minister was responding to misleading media reports, excluding LEADERSHIP, that indicated the government intended to collapse the existing secondary education system as part of the proposed new 12-year basic education model.

LEADERSHIP recalls that during the Extraordinary National Council on Education (NCE) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, Alausa had presented a proposal to transition Nigeria’s educational system into a 12-year compulsory education model, within the current 6-3-3 system. However, the minister was quick to clarify that this proposal is still under discussion and does not signify an immediate policy change.

A key aspect of the proposal, Alausa explained, is the removal of the examination barrier between JSS and SSS, allowing students to progress smoothly without needing external assessments at that stage.

The Minister stressed that this proposal is still in the consultation phase, and its potential implementation will depend on further deliberations. He added that, over the next eight months, the Ministry will engage with key stakeholders, including policymakers, state governments, educators, parents, and others, to refine the proposal.

A final decision on the proposal will be made at the National Council on Education meeting scheduled for October 2025.

Further details will be provided in due course.