School owners under the aegis of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) have urged the Federal Government to subject its proposed integration of Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS) to rigorous research and broad stakeholder consultations before taking a final decision.

The association in a statement signed by its National President, Yomi Otubela, and National Secretary, Ajibade Augustine, said although it supports efforts to improve school retention and reduce Nigeria’s growing number of out-of-school children, restructuring the country’s secondary education system alone may not address the underlying causes of school dropout.

The Federal Government last week announced plans to replace the current structure, which separates junior and senior secondary education, with a continuous six-year secondary education system.

Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the proposal during the inauguration of the Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in Abuja, saying the reform would be presented at the next meeting of the National Council on Education (NCE), the country’s highest education policy-making body.

The existing 6-3-3-4 education structure comprises six years of primary education, three years of junior secondary education and three years of senior secondary education. Students take the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at the end of junior secondary school before proceeding to senior secondary school, where they sit the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

According to Mr Alausa said the current arrangement has contributed to poor school retention, noting that while more than 24 million pupils are enrolled in public primary schools, only about four million complete senior secondary education.

He said available data shows that more than 20 million learners drop out before reaching senior secondary school, noting that there are currently more than 80,000 public primary schools but only about 15,000 junior secondary schools across the country.

Poverty, insecurity remain major barriers

Despite acknowledging the potential benefits of the proposal, NAPPS argued that changing the administrative structure of secondary education would have only a limited impact unless the underlying causes of school dropout are addressed.

The association identified poverty, insecurity, rising education costs, child labour, early marriage, inadequate school infrastructure, shortage of qualified teachers and weak enforcement of compulsory education laws as the principal factors responsible for children leaving school.

“Unless these underlying challenges are deliberately addressed, changing the administrative structure may produce only marginal improvements,” it said.

NAPPS also cautioned that abolishing the distinction between junior and senior secondary education could have unintended consequences.

It observed that the current arrangement allows students whose interests are better suited to technical and vocational education to transition into technical colleges, vocational institutions and skill acquisition programmes after completing junior secondary school.

According to the association, any reform should preserve these alternative learning pathways rather than unintentionally limiting educational choices.

It also raised concerns about student welfare, noting that separating junior and senior secondary schools has helped reduce bullying in many schools, particularly within the public education system, by limiting interactions between younger and much older students.

Government, it said, should carefully evaluate how such gains would be protected under any new structure.

NAPPS seeks evidence, wider consultations

While the proposal to replace the current 6-3-3-4 structure with a continuous six-year secondary education model has generated varied reactions among educators, school proprietors, parents, teachers and other stakeholders, NAPPS maintains that the differing perspectives deserve careful consideration.

Rather than adopting or rejecting the proposal based on assumptions, NAPPS urged the Federal Government to commission comprehensive research to determine whether the separation between junior and senior secondary education is indeed a major contributor to school dropout in Nigeria.

It said such research should be supported by reliable national data, international best practices and measurable learning outcomes.

The association also recommended extensive consultations with key stakeholders, including NAPPS, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), state ministries of education, examination bodies, education researchers, parents, development partners, technical education experts and civil society organisations (CSOs) before any final decision is taken.

NAPPS reiterated that educational reforms are more likely to succeed when those responsible for implementation are actively involved in their design.

It welcomed complementary reforms already introduced by the Federal Government, including the Learner Identification Number (LIN) and the Digital National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), describing them as important initiatives that could strengthen learner tracking, educational planning and evidence-based policymaking.

Calls for broader reforms

Beyond restructuring secondary education, NAPPS urged the government to prioritise reforms that improve teaching quality, strengthen discipline and values-based education, expand technical and vocational education, improve teacher welfare, reduce the financial burden on parents and increase access to quality public secondary education.

It also called for policies that restore public confidence in education by ensuring that learning translates into meaningful employment and economic opportunities.

The association further appealed to the government to recognise private schools as strategic partners in expanding access to quality education by providing policy support, affordable financing and greater inclusion in education reform initiatives.

“Our position is that the proposed integration of Junior and Senior Secondary education should neither be accepted nor rejected on the basis of assumptions or sentiments. It should be subjected to rigorous research, broad stakeholder engagement and careful policy evaluation.

“If credible evidence ultimately demonstrates that such restructuring will improve educational outcomes without compromising access, quality, technical education pathways, student welfare or educational flexibility, we will support reforms that genuinely advance the best interests of Nigerian children,” the association said.