FG APPROVES 12 YEARS AS MINIMUM AGE FOR JSS1 ADMISSION
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By: Muftau Fatimo
The Federal Government has established a new policy stipulating that students must be at least 12 years old to gain admission into Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1), after completing six years of primary education.
This directive is outlined in a recently released policy document on Non-State Schools, unveiled last week by the Federal Ministry of Education.
Non-state schools also known as private, independent, or non-government schools are those not operated by government authorities and are typically funded through tuition, donations, and support from individuals, communities, religious groups, businesses, and charitable foundations.
The policy emphasizes the growing importance of these schools in providing education throughout Nigeria, despite significant variations in their standards and quality.
Detailing age-based progression in early education, the Ministry stated: “Nursery education shall last three years. Children will be admitted into Nursery One at age three, Nursery Two at age four, and will undergo one year of compulsory pre-primary education (Kindergarten) at age five, in accordance with Section 2(17) of the NPE, 2013 Edition.”
Regarding the transition from primary to junior secondary school, the policy notes: “Basic education shall span nine years, consisting of six years of primary and three years of Junior Secondary School (JSS). Children will be admitted into Primary One at age six. Every child must complete six years of primary education before progressing to Junior Secondary School (JSS1), typically around age twelve.”
This means students are expected to finish secondary education by approximately 18 years old, aligning with the previously recommended age for university admission.
Former Education Minister Prof. Tahir Mamman had previously set 18 years as the minimum age for university admission, but the current minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has since lowered the requirement back to 16 years.
Data from the Nigeria Education Digest 2022 highlights the increasing prevalence of non-state schools, particularly at the junior secondary level.
The report states, “Non-state schools outnumber state schools in at least 26 states across the federation at the Junior Secondary level, while at the primary level, state schools outnumber non-state schools in 19 states.”
The report also highlights significant expansion in the private education sector over the past five years: “Between 2017 and 2022, the number of non-state schools increased at a much faster rate than state schools.
Non-state primary schools grew by 31.56%, compared to a 3.3% growth in state schools during the same period. At the Junior Secondary level, non-state schools expanded by 35.06%, while state schools saw a modest growth of just 6.8% within the same timeframe.”
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