FG Plans Phaseout of JSS, SSS Structure Amid 20m Out-of-school Children Crisis

• Alausa inaugurates national laureate c’ttee, unveils N365m research prize

•Initiative designed to elevate academic excellence

Emmanuel Addeh and Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The federal government yesterday announced plans to end the separation of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) as part of sweeping reforms aimed at tackling Nigeria’s growing out-of-school children crisis, revealing that more than 20 million pupils who enrolled in primary schools failed to transition to senior secondary education.

Also, the federal government has inaugurated the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Committee, a development education stakeholders have described as one of Nigeria’s most ambitious attempts to reposition scholarship, innovation and research as national priorities.