By Saminu Ibrahim
The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) and the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) have called for greater representation of teachers and school administrators in the proposed reforms to the administration, funding and management of senior secondary education in Nigeria.
The demands were presented on Thursday during a joint stakeholders’ public hearing on the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026, organised by the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Basic and Secondary Education at the National Assembly in Abuja.
The stakeholders called for stronger institutional structures, adequate funding, improved representation of education practitioners in policymaking and effective monitoring mechanisms to address persistent challenges in the secondary education sector.
In its presentation, ASUSS specifically called for the appointment of full-time chairmen for the state structures of the proposed National Senior Secondary Education Commission, arguing that dedicated leadership would strengthen administration, policy implementation and monitoring of educational programmes.
The union also demanded representation on the governing structures of the commission at both national and state levels, insisting that teachers, as key stakeholders in the education system, should have a voice in decisions affecting their profession and the delivery of secondary education.
It argued that involving teachers in the governance framework would promote accountability, improve policy formulation and ensure that decisions reflect the realities of schools and classroom practitioners.
ASUSS further identified inadequate classrooms, overcrowding, insufficient teaching and learning materials, poor infrastructure and other unfavourable conditions as major challenges undermining effective teaching and learning in Nigerian secondary schools.
The union urged the National Assembly to ensure that the proposed amendments went beyond administrative restructuring to address fundamental challenges affecting education quality and teachers’ welfare.
Similarly, ANCOPSS, which represents principals and school administrators nationwide, emphasised the need to incorporate the experiences and professional contributions of school heads into the proposed governance and regulatory framework.
The confederation highlighted the importance of developing policies that reflect the operational realities of secondary schools, particularly in the areas of administration, infrastructure, staffing and effective supervision.
The stakeholders’ submissions come amid growing concerns over inadequate funding, dilapidated school facilities, shortages of instructional materials and disparities in the quality of secondary education across the country.
The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to strengthen the administration, coordination and funding of public senior secondary education nationwide.
Key proposals in the bill include the establishment of Senior Secondary Education Boards in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as expanded federal intervention to cover public senior secondary schools, Federal Unity Colleges and secondary schools operated by the Armed Forces.
The proposed legislation also seeks to improve the management of intervention funds, strengthen institutional oversight and establish clearer administrative responsibilities for the commission and its state-level structures.
The Senate and House of Representatives had earlier passed the bill for second reading before referring it to their respective committees for further legislative consideration and stakeholder engagement.
