Federal Government to end junior and senior secondary school separation policy after 20 million pupils drop out

The Federal Government plans to discontinue the policy separating Junior Secondary Schools JSS from Senior Secondary Schools SSS, following data indicating that over 20 million pupils dropped out before reaching the senior secondary level. Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa announced this decision in Abuja during the inauguration of the UBEC Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee. Alausa stated that the "disarticulation policy," which mandated separate operations for JSS and SSS with distinct principals and facilities, has not achieved its objectives. He highlighted that 20 million students drop out between primary school and JSS, and noted an imbalance of 80,000 public primary schools compared to only about 15,000 junior secondary schools, leading to JSS overcrowding and underutilized SSS facilities. The minister emphasized that the policy has failed and will be phased out, with a proposal to abolish it to be presented at the next National Council on Education meeting. This policy change aims to enhance access and improve learning outcomes. Additionally, Alausa inaugurated a committee, chaired by Prof. Rashid Aderinoye, to oversee UBEC-funded Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools, and Alternative Schools, ensuring their completion, handover to states, and operational readiness, as many remain unfinished or unused despite significant investment.