The Federal Government has unveiled plans to end the long-standing policy separating Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS).
FG said the arrangement has fueled overcrowding in junior schools, left many senior school facilities underused and contributed to rising dropout rates across the country.
The disclosure was contained in a press statement issued on Tuesday by the Federal Ministry of Education, signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, following the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee for Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the proposal would be presented at the next National Council on Education as part of ongoing efforts to widen access to education and raise learning standards nationwide.
He also directed the newly inaugurated committee to tackle delays affecting many UBEC-funded projects, noting that several schools financed under the programme are either unfinished or have yet to begin academic activities.
Alausa instructed the committee to work with UBEC, state governments, State Universal Basic Education Boards and other stakeholders to speed up project completion, provide furniture and basic facilities, deploy teachers, enrol pupils and ensure every school becomes fully operational.
The minister said the committee’s success would be judged by the number of schools that become functional and actively provide education to children.
He said the Smart Schools programme is aimed at preparing learners with digital skills required in today’s economy, while the Bilingual Schools project seeks to strengthen language learning and improve academic performance. He added that the Alternative Schools programme is designed to give girls, out-of-school children and other disadvantaged groups greater access to education.
Speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, the Director of Basic Education, Dr. Folake Davis, pledged the ministry’s backing for the committee to deliver on its assignment. She also thanked UBEC, development partners, state governments and other stakeholders for supporting basic education programmes across the country.
Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hajiya Aisha Garba, said the committee would provide stronger oversight for the various programmes. She disclosed that 37 Smart Schools have been established across Nigeria, with 24 already in operation, while 30 Bilingual Schools are being developed in nine participating states under the UBEC-Islamic Development Bank partnership.
Garba said the Alternative Schools Programme is expanding learning opportunities for out-of-school children through flexible learning models.
Chairman of the committee, Professor Rashid Adewumi Aderinoye, thanked the Federal Government for the confidence placed in members, promising that the committee would carry out its assignment with integrity, professionalism and transparency.
He said members would work closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure public investment in education produces fully functional schools that deliver better learning outcomes for Nigerian children.