Nigerian Government Denies Raising JSS1 Admission Age to 12

The Federal Ministry of Education has dismissed reports claiming the minimum age for admission into Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1) has been raised to 12 years. In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, the Ministry’s Director of Press, Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, described the claims as false and not reflective of any official government policy.

Boriowo clarified that the minimum age for JSS1 admission remains 10 years and stressed that no child should complete primary education before reaching that age. She urged the public and education stakeholders to ignore any conflicting information, warning against the spread of unverified news.

The statement also included remarks from the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who reiterated that the minimum age for university admission in Nigeria is 16 years. He emphasized that the policy is firm and applies to all students, regardless of how quickly they complete secondary education. According to the Minister, the age benchmarks are designed to ensure students possess the necessary cognitive and emotional maturity for each academic level.

The Ministry called on the public, educational institutions, and media organizations to verify information through official channels before disseminating it.