The Federal Government has announced plans to phase out the separation of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) and Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) as part of efforts to tackle the growing number of out-of-school children across Nigeria.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, made the disclosure on Tuesday during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee in Abuja.
According to the minister, the current arrangement has contributed to a major gap in students' transition from primary to secondary education, with over 20 million children reportedly dropping out before completing senior secondary school.
Alausa said Nigeria has about 80,000 public primary schools but only 15,000 junior secondary schools, creating limited access for millions of pupils seeking to continue their education.
He described the separation of JSS and SSS as a failed policy and revealed that the Federal Government will present a proposal to the National Council on Education to formally phase out the system.
The minister also inaugurated a committee to accelerate the completion and operation of UBEC-funded Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools across the country, aimed at expanding access to quality education for Nigerian children.
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Education