FG Introduces 12-Year Basic Education Model as Feyemi concedes ‘Good Intention Not Enough To Fix Nigeria’
Under the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of the President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government of Nigeria has proclaimed the scrapping of Junior Secondary and Senior Secondary Schools in the country.
The policy which has seen the Tinubu-led administration introduce mandatory 12-year thorough basic education model before transiting to higher education.
Following this development, Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Ministry of Education, is looking to oust the 6-3-3-4 education system in favor of 12-4.
In the wake of this, the Nigerian Government is also seeking the approval of the National Council on Education to officially introduce 16 years as the minimum admission age requirement of any child aspiring to gain admission to any tertiary institution.
Yesterday, on Thursday, in Abuja, the honorable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, stated during the 2025 extraordinary National Council on Education meeting.
According to reports, NCE is the highest policy-making body in the Educational sector.
The event was attended by commissioners of education from the thirty-six states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and various education’s sub-parastatals, among other development partners.
According to the Minister, the new model will bring about uninterrupted learning for children up to the age of sixteen.
Alausa also discloses that the new policy on education is modern and widely practiced all over the world.
He noted that the new system will minimize the number of drop-outs and eradicate monetary and systemic obstacles which presently impede students from graduating from secondary schools.
“Extending basic education to 12 years will ensure a standardized curriculum that is uniformly implemented across the nation,” Alausa said.
“This will also facilitate early exposure to vocational and entrepreneurial skills, preparing students for both higher education and employment.
“Many developed nations have implemented similar systems where basic education spans 12 years, ensuring that students acquire foundational knowledge before specializing at tertiary levels.
“This reform also aligns Nigeria’s education system with international standards, fostering better educational outcomes and global competitiveness.”
Stressing further, he says it will also boost economic and social impact, as “Educated youth contribute significantly to national development.
“When students receive an extended period of compulsory education, they are better equipped to join the workforce with relevant skills.
“This reform will also reduce child labor and other social vices resulting from premature school dropouts.”
He cited the implementation strategies to successfully interweave secondary education into basic education to add: policy reforms, infrastructure expansion, teacher training and recruitment, funding and partnerships, curriculum enhancement.
Good Intention Not Enough To Fix Nigeria – Fayemi
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, concedes that President Bola Tinubu means to deliver good governance, but quipped that it is not good enough for success.
Fayemi was a guest on Politics Today, a nightly programme on Channels Television.
The former governor said that the Tinubu-led administration needs to adopt effectual policy framework for the current leadership ability to ensure good governance.
When asked to speak truth to power, Fayemi said: “power knows the truth,” adding that power does not act the truth “because sometimes there are many mediating factors.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done many good things; we all must acknowledge that.
“He’s been bold to take on some of the most difficult decisions that previous leaders have been reluctant to take on,” he added.
“The fallout of those decisions has caused us huge cost of living crisis. Fuel subsidy removal, convergence of FX window.
FG Introduces 12-Year Basic Education Model
“However, he is well-meaning, but well-meaning is not enough in leadership; intentionality is critical to success.
“Whether you talk about student loans or other efforts at resisting insurgency, taming insecurity, tax policy reform, increase revenue into the federal coffers; clearly some elements are there but need to come together.
“This is where effective policy framework goes side by side with leadership acumen to get a change of narrative to the story.
“Maybe that’s the area where we need to do a lot more.”
He stated that the political leaders of the country must apologize to the masses because they have all failed to deliver.
“Clearly, we must apologize to the Nigerian people. We have not succeeded in achieving everything we promised the Nigerian people, but that was not just because we were incompetent but because there were other structural impediments that have made things more difficult for us,” he said.
“But clearly, we haven’t done enough to make life abundant for the Nigerian people, and for that, I clearly will not hesitate to apologize to the Nigerian people.
“We can do a lot more. An apology may give people good vibes or feelings, but that’s not what we really need.
“We need to get our acts together, all of us who consider ourselves leaders in that space, because if we don’t, the risk we run is higher than the return we get.”
After being sworn-in as the elected president on 29th May 2023, Tinubu announced the removal of subsidy on petrol, a decision which immediately led to hike in the price of petroleum products, and goods and services.
As the harsh policy started to bite, it has been having adverse effects on the masses.
Subsequently, the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced the unification of all segments of the foreign exchange (FX) markets−destabilizing the FX windows into the investors and exporters (I&E) window.
The CBN policy catalyzed the devaluation of Naira, stocked inflation to harsh levels which further worsened that standard of living of all Nigerians; food, transportation and other basic services turned unaffordable.
In August, 2024, Nigerians took to streets to demonstrate against “economic hardship,” tagged “#EndBadGovernance”−a protest which lasted for ten days and took many lives.
FG Introduces 12-Year Basic Education Model
