The Federal Government has announced plans to phase out the policy separating Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) following revelations that over 20 million pupils drop out before reaching the senior secondary level.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed the decision on Tuesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee.

Alausa explained that the “disarticulation policy,” which mandates JSS and SSS to operate as separate entities with different leadership structures and facilities, has failed to achieve its intended objectives.

“We have 20 million dropouts from primary school to JSS. Where are those students? We also found that we have about 80,000 public primary schools but only 15,000 junior secondary schools. That’s a one-to-eight ratio,” he said.

The minister noted that the imbalance has led to overcrowding in JSS facilities, while many senior secondary schools remain underutilised, particularly in states such as Kaduna and other parts of northern Nigeria.

“This disarticulation policy has failed. We will phase it out. We cannot continue creating administrative positions at the expense of the education system. What matters is what is best for every Nigerian child,” he added.

According to him, the proposal to abolish the policy will be presented at the next meeting of the National Council on Education for consideration.

The planned reform, he said, is aimed at improving access to education and boosting transition rates between school levels. While acknowledging past shortcomings, Alausa expressed confidence in the government’s commitment to addressing the issue.

“This government will not fail. We are fixing it,” he stated.

At the event, the minister also inaugurated a committee chaired by Prof. Rashid Aderinoye to oversee UBEC-funded Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools, and Alternative Schools across the country.

The committee has been tasked with ensuring the completion, handover, and operationalisation of these projects. Alausa revealed that despite significant investments, many of the schools remain unfinished or have yet to admit students, describing the situation as a waste of public resources.

Nigeria continues to face one of the world’s highest rates of out-of-school children, with millions, especially in rural and conflict-affected areas, still lacking access to formal education.

Education experts have stressed that tackling the crisis requires not only building new schools but also ensuring that existing facilities are fully functional, adequately staffed, and accessible to learners.