OLUSOLA OLUWASEUN
The Nigerian government is considering the integration of secondary school into basic education, creating a 12-year uninterrupted learning model.
Speaking at the 2025 Extraordinary National Council on Education Meeting in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, stated that this plan would enable pupils to benefit from continuous learning up to the age of 16. Currently, the education system is structured as a 9-3-4 model, which consists of nine years in basic education (including six years in primary school and three years in junior secondary) followed by three years in senior secondary before students can pursue tertiary education.
Mr. Alausa proposed a new system that merges the nine-year basic education with three years of secondary school, transitioning from the 9-3-4 model to a 12-4 framework. He emphasized that the proposal aligns with global best practices and aims to ensure continuous, uninterrupted education. “A 12-year basic education model will provide a continuous, uninterrupted curriculum, promoting better standardization and fostering quality assurance in the education system,” he said.
The proposed education reform aims to guarantee that students receive a more comprehensive and continuous learning experience, which is expected to improve educational outcomes and contribute to a more educated populace that can drive Nigeria’s economic development.
Additionally, the plan seeks to enhance access, retention, and completion rates while ultimately reducing dropout rates by addressing financial and systemic barriers that currently hinder students from completing secondary education. The proposal will be discussed at the National Council on Education (NCE) meeting, the highest decision-making body in the sector, which includes education commissioners from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as heads of agencies and representatives from international organizations.
Furthermore, Mr. Alausa is advocating for the adoption of 16 years of age as a requirement for admission into tertiary institutions. This follows the previous directive from former Education Minister Tahir Mamman, who instructed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and tertiary institutions to refrain from admitting students under the age of 18. Mr. Mamman's decision was based on the education policy that mandates children to be six years old before enrolling in primary school, where they typically spend six years before moving on to secondary school.
However, his pronouncements faced criticism during the JAMB policy meeting with heads of tertiary institutions. Despite the concerns, the meeting ultimately agreed to set the age limit at 16 for the 2024 admissions cycle, recognizing that candidates had already taken the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) without prior knowledge of the age policy.
Following Mr. Mamman's removal and Mr. Alausa's subsequent appointment as the new minister, Mr. Alausa reversed the previous policy, establishing the age requirement at 16 years for admission into tertiary institutions.
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