FG Proposes 12-Year Basic Education, Denies Scrapping JSS, SSS

The federal government has proposed a 12-year basic education model but has denied scrapping junior secondary school (JSS) and senior secondary school (SSS).

This is according to a statement by the Director of Press of the Federal Ministry of Education, Folashade Boriowo.

Boriowo said the Minister of Education Tunji Alausa made the statement at the Extraordinary National Council on Education (NCE) Meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, where he presented a proposal for discussion—not 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.

Before making a final decision on the proposal, the ministry said there will be deliberations with stakeholders.

“The National Council on Education Meeting in October 2025 will make the final decision on whether to adopt this reform,” it stated.

“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.