FG Plans Education Reform to Curb Rising School Dropout Rate

The Federal Government has unveiled a proposal to restructure Nigeria’s secondary education system by removing the distinction between Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS), in a bid to tackle the growing number of children abandoning their education.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the proposed reform in Abuja while inaugurating the Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Alausa said the existing structure has contributed to a significant gap in the education system, revealing that over 20 million Nigerian children fail to continue their education after primary school.

“We have over 20 million children who are not making the transition from primary school into junior secondary education. That situation demands urgent action,” he said.

According to the minister, the current separation of junior and senior secondary schools has not achieved its intended objective and has instead created barriers that discourage many pupils from progressing through the education system.

He disclosed that the Federal Government would seek the approval of the National Council on Education to abolish the policy and replace it with a more integrated model designed to improve retention and ensure uninterrupted learning.

“The arrangement has not delivered the expected results. We are proposing a system that gives every child a better opportunity to complete secondary education,” Alausa stated.

As part of efforts to improve basic education, the minister also inaugurated a committee to oversee the implementation of UBEC projects nationwide, particularly Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools.

He expressed concern that several education projects funded with public resources have either remained unfinished or are not serving their intended purpose.

“Our responsibility is not only to build schools but to ensure they are functional and accessible to the children they were established to serve,” he added.

The proposed reform forms part of the Federal Government’s wider strategy to reduce school dropout rates, expand access to quality education and improve learning outcomes across the country.