Tinubu moves to end JSS/SSS divide, sends Education Reform Bill to Senate

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday advanced his administration’s proposed overhaul of Nigeria’s secondary education system by transmitting an executive bill to the Senate seeking to strengthen the governance and administration of public senior secondary schools.

The proposed National Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026  was contained in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read during plenary.

The move comes barely days after the Federal Government announced plans to reform the country’s education structure, including proposals to eliminate the separation between Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS), a policy that has generated widespread public debate.

In his letter to the Senate, Tinubu explained that the amendment bill is aimed at reinforcing the institutional framework for managing senior secondary education across the country.

He noted that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the proposed legislation at its meeting of April 30, 2026, while the Federal Ministry of Justice subsequently vetted and finalised the draft in line with constitutional provisions and legislative drafting standards before its transmission to the National Assembly.

The Federal Executive Council approved the amendment of the Bill at its sitting on Thursday 30 April 2026.

The Federal Ministry of Justice subsequently vetted and finalised the bill in line with drafting standards and constitutional provisions.

“In consequence of the above, the desire of this administration to strengthen the educational institutions in the national interest, the National Secondary Education Commission Amendment Bill 2026 is forwarded for legislative action by the National Assembly,” the president stated.

Following the reading of the communication, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative processing and directed the committee to report back within one week.

The proposed legislation is expected to provide the legal framework for ongoing reforms in the secondary education sector as the Federal Government seeks to address persistent challenges affecting school enrolment, retention and completion rates across the country.

The bill is also arriving amid growing conversations over the Federal Government’s proposal to replace the current structure that separates junior and senior secondary education with a more seamless model of basic and secondary education.

Last Tuesday, Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education unveiled the proposed reform in Abuja, arguing that the existing arrangement has contributed significantly to the loss of millions of learners as they transition through the education system.

According to the minister, about 20 million children are lost between the primary and secondary school levels under the current structure, making it imperative for the government to introduce reforms that simplify progression and improve retention.

Alausa explained that the proposed restructuring is intended to reduce school dropout rates by guaranteeing uninterrupted access to 12 years of education before students proceed to tertiary institutions or vocational training.

He maintained that the reform would remove barriers associated with transitions between different levels of schooling while ensuring that more Nigerian children complete their basic education.

Nigeria currently operates the 6-3-3-4 education system, which consists of six years of primary education, three years of Junior Secondary School, three years of Senior Secondary School and a minimum of four years of tertiary education.

Under the existing arrangement, pupils sit placement examinations at the completion of primary school before proceeding to junior secondary school.

They are also required to write another set of examinations at the end of JSS before progressing to senior secondary school.

The 6-3-3-4 system was introduced to combine academic learning with technical and vocational education, enabling students who may not proceed to tertiary institutions to acquire practical and employable skills.

However, education experts have consistently argued that the transition points within the system have become major barriers to school retention, with poverty, insecurity, inadequate infrastructure, rising education costs and weak learning outcomes combining to force many children out of school.

Stakeholders have also pointed to insufficient funding, overcrowded classrooms and uneven access to quality education across states as factors undermining the effectiveness of the current structure, prompting renewed calls for comprehensive reforms to improve access, continuity and learning outcomes in Nigeria’s education sector.