The Federal Government has proposed a 12-year basic education model while clarifying that Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) have not been abolished.
This clarification was made in a statement by Folashade Boriowo, the Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to Boriowo, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, addressed the matter during the Extraordinary National Council on Education (NCE) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, where the proposal was presented for discussion rather than as an immediate policy change.
“The attention of the Federal Ministry of Education has been drawn to misleading reports suggesting that the Federal Government has scrapped Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) and replaced them with a new 12-year uninterrupted basic education model. We wish to categorically state that this is not true,” the statement issued on Friday read.
“The proposal seeks to migrate to 12 years of compulsory education while retaining the current 6-3-3 structure,” the ministry said.
Boriowo said that the proposal targets the elimination of barriers between JSS and SSS.
This, it said, will allow “for a seamless transition of students without the hurdles of an external assessment at that stage. However, this is still a subject of consultation and deliberation”.
The ministry said there will be deliberations with stakeholders before a final decision on the proposal is made.
It said, “The final decision on whether to adopt this reform will be made at the October 2025 National Council on Education Meeting.
“The Ministry urges the public to disregard the false claim 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,” the ministry’s statement read.