By Abiola Olawale
The Nigerian Ministry of Education has clarified that reports suggesting the immediate scrapping of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) and Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) are untrue.
The ministry in a statement issued by the Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, stated that the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, only proposed a transition to a 12-year basic education system during an Extraordinary National Council on Education meeting on February 6, 2025.
Boriowo emphasized that the proposal is not an immediate policy change. According to the statement, the proposal requires further review by the National Council on Education before any final decision is taken.
The statement reads in part: “At the Extraordinary National Council on Education Meeting held on 6 February 2025 in Abuja, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa, presented a proposal for discussion — not an immediate policy change. The proposal seeks to transition to 12 years of compulsory education while retaining the current 6-3-3 structure.
“A key aspect of this proposal is to eliminate the examination barrier between JSS and SSS, allowing students to progress seamlessly without external assessments at that stage. However, this remains subject to further consultation and deliberation.
“To ensure a well-informed decision, the ministry will undertake extensive stakeholder engagements over the next eight months, consulting education policymakers, state governments, teachers, parents, and other key players. The final decision on whether to adopt this reform will be made at the National Council on Education meeting in October 2025.
“The ministry urges the public to disregard false claims that JSS and SSS have been scrapped. The Federal Government remains committed to policies that enhance access to quality education while aligning with global best practices.”
