Education Minister Alausa Blames ‘Disarticulation Policy’ for Mass Exodus After Primary School as Reform Heads to NCE
The Federal Government is moving to scrap the separation between Junior Secondary School, JSS, and Senior Secondary School, SSS, after data showed over 20 million Nigerian children drop out before reaching senior secondary. The proposal, led by Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa, could replace the 6-3-3-4 system with a unified 12-year basic education model.
The Proposal: Phase Out the “Disarticulation Policy”
Speaking at the inauguration of the UBEC Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee in Abuja, Alausa said the policy requiring JSS and SSS to operate separately with different principals and facilities “has failed”.
His key argument: Nigeria has 80,000 public primary schools but only about 15,000 junior secondary schools — a 1-to-8 ratio. This has created overcrowded JSS classrooms and underutilized SSS facilities, especially in Kaduna and other northern states.“We have 20 million dropouts from primary school to JSS. Where are those students?” he asked.
“This disarticulation policy has failed. We will phase it out. It’s about doing what is best for every Nigerian child”. The plan would unify secondary education into one block, similar to primary 1-6, to ease transitions and better use existing facilities. The proposal will be presented at the next National Council on Education, NCE meeting for approval.
12-Year Basic Education Model
Alausa also pushed for a 12-4 education structure to replace 6-3-3-4. Under it, basic education would run for 12 uninterrupted years, allowing students to remain in school until age 16 before tertiary entry. He said this aligns with global standards and would reduce dropout by removing financial and systemic barriers, standardize curriculum, and introduce early vocational training.
Important clarification: The Minister has debunked reports that JSS/SSS have already been scrapped. He said he only “presented a proposal for discussion—not an immediate policy change”. The NCE will review it before any final decision.
The Crisis: 20 Million Out of School
Government data shows about 24 million children are enrolled in primary school, but only about 4 million complete senior secondary. Only 3.75 million of 23.6 million primary pupils transit to JSS. The out-of-school crisis is worst in the North, where the Northern Elders’ Forum says 80% of the 20 million are concentrated. Experts link it to poverty, insecurity, and the almajiri system.
Supporters vs Skeptics
Supporters like Senator Shehu Sani have praised it as a “smart move” to improve retention and reduce bureaucracy.
Skeptics argue merging schools alone won’t solve root issues:
Underfunding — education gets under 10% of the budget, poverty, and insecurity that keep children out of class. Education advocates say the problem is also about “unrecognised in-school children” in affordable private schools not captured in data.
The FG says it’s also tackling the crisis with Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools, and Alternative Schools for vulnerable groups.
Bottom Line
The FG is not scrapping JSS/SSS yet. It has proposed ending the separation and moving to 12 years of compulsory basic education to keep the 20 million “missing” children in school. Whether it works will depend on funding, infrastructure, and security, not just restructuring.
