The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has dismissed reports alleging that the federal government has abolished the Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) system in favor of a new 12-year uninterrupted basic education model.
Dr. Alausa clarified that these claims were false, explaining that he had only presented a proposal to transition to 12 years of compulsory education while maintaining the existing 6-3-3-4 structure.
During the 2025 Extraordinary National Council of Education (NCE) meeting, which is the highest policy-making body in the education sector, Dr. Alausa introduced a proposal for a 12-year basic education system in Nigeria. According to him, shifting to a 12-4 education model would be beneficial for the country.
However, certain media outlets misinterpreted his proposal, incorrectly reporting that the government had completely eliminated JSS and SSS in favor of a new system.
Addressing journalists on Friday, the minister firmly denied these reports, emphasizing that he had only “presented a proposal for discussion—not an immediate policy change.”
In his statement, he reiterated the essence of his proposal: “The proposal seeks to migrate to 12 years of compulsory education while retaining the current 6-3-3 structure.”
The Minister further noted that some aspects of the proposal aim to remove certain hurdles in the current education system. One of the key components, he explained, is the elimination of the examination barrier between JSS and SSS. This change would allow students to transition smoothly between junior and senior secondary levels without facing external assessments at that stage.
He stressed that this was only a suggestion and that thorough discussions and consultations would be held before any final decisions are made.
“At the Extraordinary National Council on Education (NCE) Meeting held on February 6, 2025, in Abuja, I presented a proposal for discussion—not an immediate policy change. The proposal seeks to migrate to 12 years of compulsory education while retaining the current 6-3-3 structure,” he reiterated.
He further elaborated that this proposal is still under review and will be subjected to broad consultation with key stakeholders in the education sector. Over the next eight months, the Ministry of Education will conduct extensive discussions with education policymakers, state governments, teachers, parents, and other relevant parties.
A final decision on whether to adopt the reform will be determined at the October 2025 National Council on Education meeting.
Dr. Alausa urged the public to ignore misleading reports claiming that JSS and SSS had already been scrapped. He assured that the Federal Government remains committed to advancing policies that promote access to quality education and align with international best practices.
“The attention of the Federal Ministry of Education has been drawn to misleading reports suggesting that the Federal Government has scrapped Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) and replaced them with a new 12-year uninterrupted basic education model. We wish to categorically state that this is not true,” he stated.
In conclusion, the Minister reassured Nigerians that the education system has not been altered yet and that the government is prioritizing informed decision-making by engaging stakeholders before implementing any significant reforms.
