FG Sets 12-Year Minimum Age for JSS1 Admission

The Federal Government has officially set 12 years as the minimum age for pupils seeking admission into Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1), following the completion of six years of primary education.

This policy, outlined in a newly launched document on Non-State Schools by the Federal Ministry of Education, aims to standardize age-appropriate education and align with the National Policy on Education (NPE) 2013 edition.

According to the ministry, nursery education will last three years, starting at age three. A year of compulsory pre-primary (kindergarten) education follows at age five. Primary education begins at age six and runs for six years, after which pupils will be eligible for JSS1 at age 12.

“Every child must complete six years of primary education and shall be admitted into JSS1 around the age of twelve,” the document states.

If fully implemented, this policy means students would typically be 18 years old upon entry into tertiary institutions.

This development follows recent debates about the appropriate age for university admission in Nigeria. While former Education Minister Prof. Tahir Mamman set 18 as the minimum age for university entry, the current Minister, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, reverted it to 16 years.

The document also highlights the growing role of private or non-state schools in Nigeria’s education sector. Between 2017 and 2022, the number of non-state primary schools increased by 31.56%, compared to a 3.3% increase in public schools. At the junior secondary level, non-state schools grew by 35.06%, while public schools grew by 6.8%.