Experts express concerns over 6-3-3-4 and 12-year basic education models
pannigeriannews
7 min read
By Sunday Adepoju
Since the announcement of the Federal Government’s proposal for the abolition of 6-3-3-4 education system, with introduction of 12-year basic education model, the plan has generated divergent opinions among experts and stakeholders in the country.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the proposal during the 2025 Extraordinary National Council of Education meeting in Abuja recently, with emphasis that the 6-3-3-4 policy provides that a child spends six years in basic school, three years in junior secondary school (JSS), three years in senior secondary school (SSS) and four years in tertiary institution.
If eventually operative, the proposed policy will scrap the JSS and SSS structure.
Alausa said the introduction of the 12-year basic education model will bring Nigeria’s educational system into compliance with international standards and provide uninterrupted learning for pupils until they are 16 years old.
Alausa said when he announced the proposal, “Extending basic education to 12 years will ensure a standardised curriculum that is uniformly implemented across the nation, This will also facilitate early exposure to vocational and entrepreneurial skills, preparing students for both higher education and employment.”
He also noted that the new policy will reduce the number of dropouts and provide a better chance for students to complete their education by eliminating financial and systematic obstacles preventing them from finishing secondary school. He added that many developed nations have implemented similar systems where basic education spans 12 years, ensuring that students acquire foundational knowledge before specialising at tertiary levels.
The explanations of Alausa on the strength of the policy notwithstanding, some experts have uttered their rejection and expressed concern on, calling for a national appraisal of public schools in the 774 local government areas.
Recently, a group, Owu Youth Forum (OYF) rejected the abolition of the 6-3-3-4 education policy. The OYF, in a statement, said, “The existing 6-3-3-4 structure already provides an opportunity to for young people to learn a trade or skill before university, where sponsorships are limited. The problem is not the structure but the lack of implementation and support.
“Rather than forcing students into an unnecessarily prolonged academic system, why not strengthen the vocational and technical training components of the existing system?”
The OYF added, “Let us see the true state of our classrooms, laboratories, and libraries. Provide a conducive learning environment with proper infrastructure functional laboratories, and technology-driven education.
A scholar of Philosophy of Education and lecturer at the Department of Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, Dr. Kassim Oyewumi, aligns with the newly proposed structure, with a clause that the policy’s blueprint, which is yet to be out, will determine its workability.
He, however, expressed concern that many of the educational policies suffer total implementation.
Dr. Oyewumi, who was formerly a secondary school teacher, said, “The new 12-year basic education being proposed by the Federal Government is still bleak because there’s no blueprint on it yet, for professionals to study. Be that as it may, the 6-3-3-4 is just existing in shadow because it has been replaced with 9-3-4 since the last administration but unfortunately the structure was never put in place.”
According to him, if the new structure is understood, there is no any negative implications since reforms are inevitable in education due to its dynamic nature. “So, if the arrangements will be strictly and sincerely implemented, then the goal of the new system can be achieved, but if it is ‘business as usual’ where lips service are paid to educational reforms, then it will be as good as the old structure.”
He charged the Federal Government to show genuine commitment to education if actually it (FG) has belief and faith in education system as the only viable harbinger of development and nation’s advancement.
While advancing his thought on subjects like Biology and Economics that are no longer compulsory for all students, Oyewumi said, “There is no problem with the subject combination since they were chosen by experts based on the need of individual student in line with their career choice. For instance, what is the benefit of Biology as a subject to students in Art class? The basic needs of Biology knowledge would have been acquired during the basic education level rather than wasting time studying a subject that has nothing to give him, even in term of admission process.
“Generally, from elementary to higher institutions, one cannot say precisely that everything is alright because despite the huge amounts of money claimed to be expended on education, the success is not noticed. Simply because the funds were not being channeled to the impactful areas of educational funding which are obvious even to the blind.”
A retired school principal in Ogbomoso zone of Oyo State, part-time lecturer in many higher institutions in Nigeria, Mr. Mathew Olojede, decried said Nigeria, in reality, is not even practicing 6-3-3-4 education model.
“Nigeria is not even implementing 6-3-3-4 education system. Recall that when the Federal Government then wanted to scrap 6-5-4 educational system in the 80s, some people were sent to Romania to be trained as experts to handle the machines in the various workshops built by the government in various secondary schools in all states.
“The idea behind it was that the students who were not good academically would be trained vocationally and sent to trade centres or technical schools after JS3 to continue with their education. That noble idea didn’t see the light of the day. All the equipment in various workshops had disappeared and the workshops converted to classrooms.
“See, senior secondary schools have collapsed. Thanks to some private schools that have come to the rescue. Many private schools and some public schools have become examination malpractice centres. I am now the Chief Examiner of WAEC English in the five local governments in Ogbomoso.
“If I share my experience as an axaminer, you will be shocked. WAEC has tried all means possible to stop exam malpractice but saboteurs are all over the place. Our problem is not about the system but ourselves and the unseriousness of the government to address critical issues in our educational system,” Olojede said.
A lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Extension and Management, Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Mr. Olugbenga Adisa,expressed criticism on the proposed policy. He said, “It is unfortunate that those who are at the helms of educational affairs are green opportunists. They are not the square pegs in square holes. They don’t have mastery of Nigerian social content, resource content and leadership content. I strongly disagree with this upcoming educational policy. It is going to draw us back to early age position.
Adisa, a former school teacher, added, “For instance, Oyo State government employed good number of teachers. Now, it remains great monitoring and provision of improved practical in all subjects. We don’t need new policy or anything. Meanwhile, some subjects now in secondary school education are sub-topics of certain mother topics. For instance, from Agricultural Science, we now have Animal Husbandry.All should be reversed. Many of the subjects are not required for admission to tertiary institutions, both home and abroad.”
A former General Manager of Crown Football Club, Ogbomoso and public affairs commentator cum journalist, Mr. Kunle Oyeleye said the Federal Government has only given priority to the unimportant. He noted that Federal Government has neglected the questions of infrastructure, training and retraining, among others.
“The government needs to sit down with eminent educationists and psychologists before rolling out any position on the education model of the country. The 6-3-3-4 is a perfect model in my opinion because education is not mainly or overly free in Nigeria. Were it to be a totally free education after primary school, nothing will possibly hamper anyone from completing the school from form 1-6 but the 6-3-3-4 affords one to complete JS 1 to 3 and for any reason you cannot further venture into vocation and return to school from where you stopped.
“Besides, the current model is not an albatross to educational development in Nigeria. Government needs to wake up to its primary duties of providing enabling environment for learning, priortise welfare of teachers and students. It is not about 6-3-3-4 or 6-6-4. To me, there’s no difference between the 2 models. It’s the quality of education you receive. Public schools curriculum and subjects need to be revisited for upgrade. Some course contents are archaic. Subjects like Biology and Economics should be compulsory because they offer insight into personal health and wide range of knowledge just as Economics as a subject gives knowledge on the economy, markets and finances. If students are not exposed to differing courses in the secondary, they won’t be informed or be limited on their choice of courses to study at the tertiary institutions.
“Ditto to some private schools; they are always upgrading and moving with international standards. Even, tertiary institutions need to upgrade their course contents. Abroad, some universities are phasing out some courses because they are no longer relevant to body of knowledge. This week, I read that some schools are no longer offering linguistics as a course, because Artificial Intelligence and Internet can take you some of its contents. Government needs to be holistic in its approach.
The State of our education is not palatable and it is as result of irresponsible leadership and bad governance. Let the government send delegates to developed countries of the world to see how they run their school system that is working for them.”
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