A former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani has advised the Federal Government (FG) to consult experts, including teachers unions, students unions amongst others before halting the Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) education in the country.
This comes after the FG on Thursday announced the overhaul of the existing JSS and SSS education, introducing a compulsory 12-year uninterrupted basic education model, which will pave the way for higher education.
This change will mark the end of the 6-3-3-4 education system, replacing it with 12-4 model.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa disclosed this during the 2025 extraordinary National Council on Education meeting.
Mr. Alausa explained that the basic education will ensure that students learn continuously until the age of 16, aligning with global best practices.
He stated that the reform aims to reduce dropout rates by eliminating the resource and access constraints that prevent students from completing secondary education.
His words: “Extending basic education to 12 years will ensure a standardized curriculum that is uniformly implemented across the nation. This will also facilitate early exposure to vocational and entrepreneurial skills, preparing students for both higher education and employment.
“Many developed nations have implemented similar systems where basic education spans 12 years, ensuring that students acquire foundational knowledge before specializing at tertiary levels.
“This reform also aligns Nigeria’s education system with international standards, fostering better educational outcomes and global competitiveness.”
He stressed the importance of educated youths to national development, and highlighted the implementation strategies, including policy reforms, teacher training and recruitment, curriculum enhancement amongst others.
Reacting to the development in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Sani enjoined the government to listen to “enlightened views” before considering the abolishment.
He wrote: “The Government should not just abolish the 6-3–3-4 education system by fiat without listening to enlightened views from Teachers Unions, Students Unions, education experts, school administrators, parents bodies, academics and examinations bodies.
“The National Assembly should hold a public debate on this first.”
