Barely three months into office, Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, finds himself in a tangle of controversy over the proposed education reforms.
After reports emerged that Alausa had proposed the scrapping of junior and senior secondary school system, the minister hastily dismissed them as misinterpretations.
But was it really a case of misreporting, or is the government struggling to articulate a clear vision?
Everyone familiar with the Nigerian educational system reckons that the National Council on Education, NCE, is the country’s highest policy-making body; it’s not a ground for testing unfamiliar ideas.
That the minister engaged in surface articulation of a policy likely to usher in radical restructuring and reshape various tiers of the subsector, smacks of his failure to grasp the sensitive nature of pre-tertiary education in the country.
At the heart of the matter is the proposed 12-year compulsory basic education model—a policy aimed at ensuring uninterrupted learning from primary through senior secondary school.
According to Alausa, this move is designed to reduce dropout rates, particularly after junior secondary school, by eliminating transitional barriers.
While the idea sounds noble, government’s mixed messaging has only fueled confusion, despite an attempt at clarification.
The Common Entrance Examination will be phased out, except for Unity Schools, and the junior secondary transition exam will be abolished—all in a bid to make education more seamless.
Yet, for a policy meant to bring clarity and continuity, the messaging has been anything but clear.
It further raises questions about assessment standards and school placements.
If junior and senior secondary schools remain intact, why was the initial narrative framed as their abolition?
Why did it take a wave of public outcry for the government to set the record straight?
This back-and-forth only fuels public distrust and policy uncertainty—two things Nigeria’s struggling education sector can ill afford.
Beyond the rhetoric, the plan to raise the minimum age for tertiary education entry to 16 signals a push for alignment with global standards.
However, will this policy be strictly implemented or backed by law to check its abuse and ensure speedy prosecution of errant institutions and candidates.
Also beyond the facade of reforms and overhaul of the system is the need for infrastructure, funding, and trained personnel in the sector to ensure its transportation.
Education reforms should not be dictated by press conferences and damage control but by a well-structured, transparent, and actionable blueprint.
The government must do better. A policy of this magnitude demands clear communication, stakeholder engagement, and a concrete implementation roadmap—not knee-jerk responses to media reports.
Nigeria’s education sector is at a critical juncture. What it needs is decisive action, not contradictory statements.
The government must ensure its policies are not only well-intentioned but also well-explained.
Otherwise, its education agenda risks being dismissed as yet another policy misstep in a system already struggling for stability.
