Federal Government to Phase Out JSS, SSS Separation Policy Over 20 Million Dropout Figures

The Federal Government says it will phase out the policy separating Junior Secondary Schools from Senior Secondary Schools, following findings that more than 20 million pupils drop out before reaching the senior secondary level.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the decision on Tuesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the UBEC Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee.

Alausa said the “disarticulation policy,” which requires JSS and SSS to operate separately with different principals and facilities, has failed to achieve its intended purpose and has contributed to challenges within the education system.

He said government data showed a major imbalance between the number of public primary schools and junior secondary schools across the country.

“We have 20 million dropouts from primary school to JSS. Where are those students? We also found we have 80,000 public primary schools and only about 15,000 junior secondary schools. That’s a one-to-eight ratio,” he said.

The minister said the gap has resulted in overcrowding in junior secondary schools while some senior secondary schools remain underutilised.

He cited states including Kaduna and others in the North as examples of areas affected by the imbalance, adding that the policy would be reviewed in the interest of Nigerian children.

“This disarticulation policy has failed. We will phase it out. We can’t be creating positions because we want to create a director level for people while we harm our education system. It’s about doing what is best for every Nigerian child,” Alausa said.

He added that the proposal to abolish the policy would be presented at the next meeting of the National Council on Education.

Alausa said the move is part of broader efforts to expand access to education and improve learning outcomes, adding that the government is focused on addressing challenges affecting school transition rates.

At the same event, the minister inaugurated a committee chaired by Rashid Aderinoye to monitor the implementation of UBEC-funded Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools nationwide.

The committee is expected to ensure the completion of projects, their handover to states and their opening for learning.

Alausa said some completed projects have remained unused, describing the situation as a waste of public resources.

Nigeria continues to face a major education access challenge, with millions of school-age children, particularly in rural and conflict-affected communities, still outside the formal school system.

The Federal Government says improving access will require not only building schools but ensuring facilities are completed, functional and adequately equipped for learners.