FG moves to merge JSS, SSS as 20 million pupils drop out before senior secondary

Education

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Federal Government has announced plans to merge Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) as part of sweeping reforms aimed at addressing Nigeria’s worsening education crisis, which has seen more than 20 million pupils drop out before reaching senior secondary education.

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the move would phase out the long-standing disarticulation policy separating JSS and SSS, describing it as a failed system that has hindered access to education and contributed to the country’s growing number of out-of-school children.

“We have 20 million dropouts from primary school to JSS. Where are those students? This disarticulation policy has failed. We will phase it out because it is about doing what is best for every Nigerian child,” Alausa said.

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Nigeria currently operates the 6-3-3-4 education system, comprising six years of primary education, three years of junior secondary school, three years of senior secondary school and four years of tertiary education.

Under the existing arrangement, JSS and SSS operate independently with separate principals, management structures and facilities.

However, the minister said the policy has created significant structural imbalances within the education system.

According to him, Nigeria has about 80,000 public primary schools but only 15,000 junior secondary schools, creating a major bottleneck that limits pupils’ transition from primary to junior secondary education.

He noted that while many junior secondary schools remain overcrowded, numerous senior secondary school facilities across the country are underutilised, particularly in Kaduna and several northern states.

“We have overflowing junior secondary schools and empty senior secondary schools. We cannot continue creating administrative positions while damaging our education system,” Alausa said.

He added that the current administration was determined to reverse years of decline in the education sector.

“The previous governments may have failed in this regard, but this government will not fail. We are fixing this,” he stated.

The proposed reform will be presented to the National Council on Education (NCE), the country’s highest education policy-making body, for consideration and approval.

As part of the implementation strategy, the Federal Government has inaugurated a Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee chaired by Professor Rashid Aderinoye.

The committee will oversee the completion and operationalisation of Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools across the country as part of broader efforts to improve access to quality education.

According to the Ministry of Education, the planned merger is expected to streamline the transition between junior and senior secondary education, reduce school dropout rates and ensure more efficient utilisation of existing educational infrastructure.

Officials also believe the reforms will strengthen learning outcomes by integrating digital education through Smart Schools while expanding access to vulnerable and underserved children through Alternative Schools.

Education experts have long argued that Nigeria’s large population of out-of-school children poses a serious threat to the country’s economic growth, security and human capital development.

If approved by the National Council on Education, the merger of JSS and SSS would represent one of the most significant structural reforms to Nigeria’s education system in decades, with the government hoping it will improve retention rates and ensure that more children complete secondary education.