Pat Stevens/
The Federal Government has unveiled plans to replace Nigeria’s current 6-3-3-4 education system with a compulsory 12-year uninterrupted basic education model.
This sweeping reform, announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, at the 2025 extraordinary National Council on Education (NCE) meeting in Abuja, aims to overhaul the nation’s education framework.
Alausa revealed that the proposed system would subsume Junior and Senior Secondary School into a single, continuous basic education structure, ensuring students remain in school until the age of 16.
Additionally, the minister sought the NCE’s approval to adopt 16 years as the minimum age for entry into tertiary institutions, aligning with global best practices.
The minister emphasised that the reform would reduce dropout rates, eliminate financial and systemic barriers, and provide students with uninterrupted learning opportunities.
He highlighted the benefits of the 12-year model, including early exposure to vocational and entrepreneurial skills and the adoption of a standardised curriculum nationwide.
“Many developed nations have implemented similar systems, ensuring students acquire foundational knowledge before specialising at tertiary levels. This reform aligns Nigeria’s education system with international standards, fostering better outcomes and global competitiveness,” Alausa stated.
The minister also underscored the role of the reform in addressing social challenges like child labour and other vices linked to premature school dropouts, adding that the policy would prepare students for both higher education and the workforce.
Key strategies for implementing the reform include policy adjustments, infrastructure expansion, teacher training, increased funding, and curriculum enhancement. The new curriculum will incorporate technical, vocational, and digital literacy education to equip students with 21st-century skills.
Alausa urged stakeholders to support the bold initiative, stressing its importance for national development.
“This is a necessary step towards creating a more inclusive, equitable, and globally competitive education system. It is time to secure the future of our children and, by extension, the prosperity of our nation,” he concluded.
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