FG Sets 12 as Minimum Age for JSS1 Admission

The Federal Government has officially set 12 years as the minimum age for admission into Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1), following six years of completed primary education. The new guideline is part of a recently launched policy document on Non-State Schools by the Federal Ministry of Education.

The policy outlines a clear age-based progression through early education, beginning with nursery school at age three, pre-primary education at five, and Primary One at age six. Children are expected to complete six years of primary education before transitioning to JSS1 at around age 12. This progression aligns with an expected secondary school completion age of 18, reinforcing the earlier recommendation of 18 as the minimum age for university admission. However, the current Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has since revised the minimum university admission age back to 16.

The policy also emphasizes the expanding role of non-state schools—commonly known as private, independent, or non-government schools—which are not operated by government authorities and are funded through various private means. These schools have increasingly contributed to education delivery across the country, although concerns about variations in quality and standards remain.

According to data from the Nigeria Education Digest 2022, non-state schools now outnumber government schools in junior secondary education in at least 26 states. In contrast, state schools remain dominant at the primary level in 19 states. The document also shows that non-state schools have experienced significantly faster growth over the past five years. From 2017 to 2022, the number of non-state primary schools rose by 31.56%, while state schools grew by just 3.3%. At the junior secondary level, non-state schools increased by 35.06%, compared to 6.8% growth for state schools during the same period.