FG Inaugurates Committee to Fast-Track Smart, Bilingual, Alternative Schools, Moves to End JSS-SSS Separation

The Federal Government has inaugurated a Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee to accelerate the delivery of Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools across the country, while also announcing plans to phase out the policy separating Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS).

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The initiative, unveiled by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, during the committee’s inauguration in Abuja, is aimed at ensuring that investments in basic education result in fully functional schools that provide quality learning opportunities for Nigerian children.

Dr. Alausa said the committee would be assessed based on the number of schools that become fully operational and actively deliver education, emphasizing that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, education remains a key national priority with a strong focus on measurable outcomes.

According to the Minister, the Smart Schools initiative is designed to equip learners with digital competencies required for the modern economy, while the Bilingual Schools programme seeks to promote linguistic inclusion, improve learning outcomes and strengthen national integration. He added that the Alternative Schools initiative is intended to expand access to education for vulnerable and underserved populations, particularly girls and out-of-school children.

Expressing concern over the slow pace of implementation of several UBEC-funded projects, Dr. Alausa directed the committee to work closely with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), State Governments, State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) and other critical stakeholders to ensure the timely completion of projects, provision of furniture and essential facilities, deployment of teachers, enrolment of learners and the full operationalisation of all schools.

The Minister also disclosed that the Federal Government plans to discontinue the long-standing policy separating Junior Secondary Schools from Senior Secondary Schools, noting that the arrangement has contributed to overcrowding in junior secondary schools, underutilisation of senior secondary facilities and rising school dropout rates. He revealed that the proposal would be presented at the next National Council on Education as part of wider reforms aimed at expanding access and improving learning outcomes nationwide.

Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, the Director of Basic Education, Dr. Folake Davis, commended the Minister’s leadership and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to providing the coordination and support required for the successful implementation of the committee’s mandate. She also acknowledged the continued contributions of UBEC, development partners, state governments and other stakeholders toward advancing inclusive and future-ready basic education in Nigeria.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hajiya Aisha Garba, described the committee as a strategic platform for enhancing implementation, accountability and sustainability in basic education projects. She disclosed that 37 Smart Schools have been established nationwide, with 24 already operational, while 30 Bilingual Schools are currently being implemented across nine participating states through the UBEC-Islamic Development Bank partnership. She added that the Alternative Schools Programme continues to broaden educational opportunities for out-of-school children through flexible and inclusive learning models.

Speaking on behalf of the committee, its Chairman, Professor Rashid Adewumi Aderinoye, thanked the Federal Government for the confidence reposed in its members and pledged that the committee would carry out its responsibilities with integrity, professionalism and transparency. He assured that members would work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to ensure government investments translate into sustainable, fully functional schools capable of improving learning outcomes for children across Nigeria.