The Federal Government has raised concerns that over 20 million children who began their education in primary school failed to progress to senior secondary school after dropping out along the way.
The government also disclosed that the disarticulation policy, which required Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) to operate separately from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS), both physically and administratively, has not achieved its intended objectives and will therefore be discontinued.
Stating this yesterday in Abuja during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the arrangement has resulted in overcrowded JSS facilities and underutilised senior secondary schools in several states, arguing that the policy prioritised administrative positions over students’ educational needs.
According to him, the government will abolish the policy to expand access to education and improve learning outcomes for Nigerian children, noting that the proposal would be tabled for consideration at the next meeting of the National Council on Education.
The committee, chaired by Prof. Rashid Aderinoye, is to ensure that hundreds of Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools funded by the UBEC are completed, handed over to states, and opened for learning, the minister said.
He added that the committee would drive the implementation and monitoring of the projects to ensure they deliver quality education to Nigerian children
Alausa further lamented that though UBEC had invested heavily in the three categories of schools across the country, many projects remained unfinished, while several completed schools had yet to be handed over to state governments or integrated into their education systems.
Earlier, UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, said the federal government had made significant progress in expanding access to quality basic education through its Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools, and Alternative Schools initiatives, describing them as some of the country’s most strategic investments in the sector.
Garba disclosed that 37 Smart Schools had been established across the federation, with 24 already conducting academic activities, while the remaining schools were at different stages of completion, furnishing and operational readiness.
She added that under the UBEC–Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Bilingual Education Programme, 30 schools had been established in nine participating states. According to her, three boarding schools have been completed and commissioned, while four others have reached substantial completion and are awaiting commissioning.
Also speaking on behalf of the committee, its Chairman, Prof. Aderinoye, assured that members would discharge their responsibilities with diligence, transparency, and a strong commitment to delivering results.
