FG to scrap JSS, SSS separation policy after 20m pupils drop out

The Federal Government will phase out the policy separating Junior Secondary Schools from Senior Secondary Schools after data showed more than 20 million pupils dropped out before reaching the senior secondary level.

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

Alausa said the “disarticulation policy,” which required JSS and SSS to operate separately with different principals and facilities, has not met its objectives.

“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 imbalance has caused overcrowding in JSS facilities and left many senior secondary schools underutilised. He cited Kaduna and other northern states as examples.

“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”, he added.

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

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The policy shift is aimed at expanding access and improving learning outcomes, Alausa said. He acknowledged past failures in addressing transition rates but stated: “This government will not fail. We are fixing it.”

At the same event, Alausa inaugurated a committee chaired by Prof. Rashid Aderinoye to oversee UBEC-funded Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools.

The committee is mandated to ensure the projects are completed, handed over to states and opened for learning.

UBEC has invested in hundreds of such schools nationwide.

The minister said many remain unfinished or have not admitted learners, describing it as a waste of public resources.

Nigeria has one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children, with millions of school-age children—particularly in rural and conflict-affected communities—still lacking access to formal education.

Education experts have consistently argued that addressing the crisis requires not only constructing new schools but ensuring that completed facilities are fully operational, adequately staffed and accessible to learners.

Deborah Tolu-Kolawole

Deborah Tolu-Kolawole is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with four years of experience covering Nigeria’s vast education sector as well as related areas such as politics, health, security, and labour. She blends rigorous reporting with digital storytelling to bring clarity and insight to complex issues affecting learners, educators, and policymakers. Deborah was a nominee for The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) Prize in Journalism, recognising her impactful reporting and contributions to Nigerian media. Her work reflects strong newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a commitment to accurate, audience-focused journalism. In addition to her reporting, she is fluent in multiple languages and serves as a contributing member of The Punch editorial board.