“JSS, SSS not scrapped” – Education Minister debunks viral reports

• Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa denies reports that the federal government has scrapped JSS and SSS.
• Some media outlets misreported his proposal for 12 years of compulsory education as an overhaul of the 6-3-3-4 system.
• According to Dr. Tunji, the proposal was presented for discussion, not immediate implementation.
• The minister urges the public to disregard misinformation, emphasizing that discussions are still ongoing.

Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has refuted reports claiming that the federal government has scrapped the Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) system.

Addressing the media on Friday, Alausa clarified that his recent proposal aims to enhance the country’s education framework and does not constitute an immediate policy change.

The controversy arose after his presentation at the 2025 Extraordinary National Council of Education (NCE) meeting in Abuja, where he proposed a 12-year uninterrupted basic education model.

However, some media outlets misinterpreted this as a complete overhaul of the current 6-3-3-4 system.

Setting the record straight, Alausa emphasized that his proposal retains the existing structure while seeking to eliminate external examination barriers between JSS and SSS to ensure a smooth student transition.

“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.” Alausa stated.

“At the Extraordinary National Council on Education (NCE) Meeting held on February 6, 2025, in Abuja, I presented a proposal for discussion—not an immediate policy change. The proposal seeks to migrate to 12 years of compulsory education while retaining the current 6-3-3 structure.

“A key aspect of this proposal is to eliminate the examination barrier between JSS and SSS, allowing 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.

“To ensure a well-informed decision, the Ministry will undertake extensive stakeholder engagements over the next eight months, consulting widely with education policymakers, state governments, teachers, parents, and other key players. The final decision on whether to adopt this reform will be made at the October 2025 National Council on Education Meeting, he added.

He urged the public to disregard false claims that JSS and SSS have been scrapped, reaffirming that discussions on the proposal are still ongoing.