Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, has called for the abolition of all Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) and Senior Secondary Schools in favour of a mandatory 12-year uninterrupted basic education.
The minister proposed the 2025 National Council on Education (NCE) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, February 6.
The summit was attended by education commissioners from 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, MDAs, and other development partners.
Alausa stated that phasing out the 6-3-3-4 model and substituting a 12-4 will transform education in Nigeria to accord with “global standards.”
Nigeria uses the 6-3-3-4 education system, where a kid begins school at six and completes six years of primary and secondary education before turning 18.
According to Alausa, the administration is seeking clearance from the NCE to designate 16 as the minimum entry age for academic institutions.
He stated that integrating secondary schools into basic education would provide pupils with continuous learning until they reached 16.
The minister stated that a 12-year basic education system will “reduce dropout rates by removing financial and systemic barriers.” He also noted that the measure would ”standardise the curriculum and offer early vocational training to equip pupils for higher education and jobs.
He stated that implementing the program will ”improve economic and social growth by training young people with necessary skills and decreasing child labour.”
’“Extending basic education to 12 years will ensure a standardised curriculum that is uniformly implemented across the nation. This will also facilitate early exposure to vocational and entrepreneurial skills, preparing students for higher education and employment.
Many developed nations have implemented similar systems where basic education spans 12 years, ensuring that students acquire foundational knowledge before spec ialising at tertiary levels.
This reform also aligns Nigeria’s education system with international standards, fostering better educational outcomes and global competitiveness,” he said.
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