The Federal Government has dismissed claims that it has abolished the Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) education system. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, clarified that while discussions about reforms are underway, no final decision has been reached.
A media report recently alleged that the federal government had replaced the 6-3-3-4 system with a 12-4 model during the 2025 extraordinary National Council on Education (NCE) meeting in Abuja. Addressing the claims, Dr. Alausa explained that the government is still in the deliberation phase.
“We haven’t even got to the implementation phase. The National Council of Education, the highest decision-making body on education policies, must first approve any change,” he said.
The minister revealed that the proposed system aims to extend Nigeria’s compulsory basic education from nine to 12 years. He emphasized that this would strengthen foundational knowledge among students, a goal inspired by past systems that produced more well-rounded graduates.
“That means we’re just training people that have no clue, that need training. We have nine years now, but we’re proposing to increase it to 12 years of compulsory education,” Alausa noted.
Dr. Alausa further argued that the new model would align Nigeria with global standards and ensure students are better prepared for higher education. “A continuous curriculum promotes better standardisation, quality assurance, and improved educational outcomes,” he added.
Highlighting another concern, the minister pointed out that bright students often face delays entering universities due to age restrictions. “Bright students completing secondary school at 16 are forced to wait until they turn 18. This delays their development and could worsen mental health issues,” he said.
Despite the ongoing deliberations, Dr. Alausa assured Nigerians that no changes to the education system would take effect before the last quarter of 2025.
