10 Key Changes You Need to Know About Nigeria’s New 12-4 Education System

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Obot Syntyche SuccessEntertainment, Lifestyle Writer

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Joy EmehWriter| Editor| Content Strategist

Franklin IzuchukwuCrypto Writer, Business Writer and Radiographer

The new Education system combines and harmonises the years of “primary” and “secondary” school studies into an uninterrupted 12-year basic education cycle.

This guarantees that students have access to a more complete spectrum of knowledge assimilation and development opportunities and adds three years of study to the existing Education system.

This alignment reflects the global trend to increase the general quality of the country by extending the term of mandatory education.

While in the former Education system, junior secondary and senior secondary were two independent phases of school, the new Education system removes this separation in favour of a continuum of instruction. 

This modification is meant to eliminate the transition obstacles between educational systems and enable students to have a more flexible learning environment.

To graduate from the junior secondary level under the former education system, students had to pass the JSCE test (BECE), colloquially called “Junior WAEC.” This examination has, however, been eliminated under the new education system.

Its replacement could be a more thorough evaluation system covering classroom performance, project activity, and practical exercises. This shift helps students to develop holistically and lessens the study burden on them.

The new 12-4 education system helps minimize the rate at which schools graduate students prematurely or skip grades. This policy seeks to guarantee that every pupil finishes twelve years of basic education in line with standardised criteria.

It was common practice for students to skip classes in the 6-3-3-4 education system, especially Primary 6 and SS3, which would have resulted in a knowledge gap or a lack of psychological maturity. Through a complete academic year, the new education system enables students to lay a strong basis.

Commonly employed in the West and other nations, the new 12-4 system substitutes the “Grade 1 to 12” nomenclature in place of the traditional terms: "primary" and "secondary."

As such, the first year of secondary school is called "grade 7," while what used to be the sixth year of primary school is now referred to as "grade 6." 

This nomenclature not only helps interface with other nations' educational systems but also brings Nigeria in line with international standards.

12-4 education system in Nigeria.

The new 12-4 education system lessens exam stress on children by removing the “Common Entrance” exam required for admission from primary to junior secondary institutions. 

Schools also have the option to provide a full program spanning Grade 1 through Grade 12, thereby removing the physical division between primary and secondary education. Students thus only need to buy one set of school uniforms for the whole 12-year study program rather than several sets for various levels.

The new system stresses a smooth transition from primary to secondary education, thereby avoiding the disruption of learning resulting from conventional system stage changes.

For instance, pupils straight out of Year 6 join Year 7 without having to sit for entrance tests or adjust to a new educational environment. This continuity enhances pupils' basic performance and learning efficiency.

Under the new system, students will just have to sit for the University Entrance Examination (UTME) like JAMB and the following POST UTME tests in addition to the Higher West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or National Examinations Council (NECO).

By streamlining the assessment process and lowering the frequency of high-stakes exams for students, this centralised testing method helps them to concentrate on their studies instead of test preparation.

The new 12-4 education system forbids pupils from using instructional resources above their present grade level. This metric seeks to guarantee that the instructional materials match the cognitive capacity of the pupils, thereby improving learning outcomes. 

For instance, it is common for some schools to allow Primary 5 pupils access to Primary 6 resources to hasten their development in the past, but this approach could have resulted in poor knowledge acquisition.

By closely defining criteria for the use of teaching resources, the new approach guarantees that every student has access to educational resources suitable for his/her age and ability.

The new 12-4 education system lets schools provide an entire program spanning Grade 1 through Grade 12, thereby removing the physical divide between primary and secondary education. Along with streamlining the administrative procedure, this integration encourages effective resource usage. 

For instance, a school can teach all programs ranging from Grade 1 through Grade 12 concurrently without separate primary and secondary sections. Parents and kids would find this approach handy as it increases operational efficiency.

The new education system guarantees that students join universities, polytechnics or college of education with more academic maturity and mental preparation by forbidding grade skipping and lengthening the term of basic education. 

Premature admission in the past could have made some students find it difficult to adjust to tertiary institutions.

Enforcing a complete academic year allows students to progressively increase their knowledge and experience, thus enabling them to better negotiate the demands of postsecondary education.

The new 12-4 education system in Nigeria is clearly a bold and imaginative attempt at reform. By means of the ten fundamental changes described above, one can observe that the government may be dedicated to establishing a more fair, effective, and competitive learning environment.

Apart from raising the standard of education, these policies should generate more globally conscious and creative individuals for the nation. 

Any significant transformation, nevertheless, always presents difficulties. Parents, teacher groups, and several stakeholders such as The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) have voiced concerns regarding the new education system's implementation specifics.

Furthermore, several traditionalists are of the opinion that the abolition of the middle and high school separation is an oratorical move that could result in a lack of depth in several disciplines. 

Still, most analysts in the educational sector remain hopeful about the reform. As long as the government can establish the new education system solidly and modify its policies over time, there is popular belief that it will bring about good improvements in Nigeria.

According to Tunji Alausa, minister of education, this move will "contribute to a more educated populace that drives Nigeria’s economic development." This comment captures the true essence of this historical transformation.