The Federal Government has officially declared 12 years as the minimum age for admission into Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1).
This directive, released through a comprehensive policy document by the Federal Ministry of Education, is part of ongoing reforms targeting Non-State (private) schools and reaffirms the government’s commitment to a structured nine-year basic education model.
According to the new guideline, children are expected to follow a progressive educational pathway starting from age three:
Nursery One at age 3
Nursery Two at age 4
Kindergarten (Pre-primary) at age 5
Primary One at age 6
After completing the mandatory six years of primary education, students would then transition to JSS1 at around age 12.
The policy document emphasizes:
“Nursery education shall be of three years’ duration. Children shall be admitted into Nursery One when they attain the age of three years, Nursery Two on attaining the age of four, and one year of compulsory pre-primary education (Kindergarten) on attaining the age of five years, in accordance with the specification of Section 2(17) of the NPE, 2013 Edition.”
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It further clarifies:
“Basic education shall be of nine years’ duration. There shall be a six-year primary and a three-year Junior Secondary School (JSS). Children shall be admitted into Primary One when they attain the age of six years. Every child must complete six years of primary education. They shall be admitted into Junior Secondary School (JSS1) when they have completed six (6) years of primary education, at around the age of twelve (12) years.”
The move is designed to promote age-appropriate learning and ensure children are developmentally ready for each stage of their education.
Private Schools Outpacing Public Schools in Growth
The document also draws attention to the growing dominance of private education in Nigeria. It notes that in at least 26 states, private (non-state) junior secondary schools now outnumber their public counterparts. While state schools still dominate at the primary level in 19 states, the trend is rapidly shifting.
Data from the Nigeria Education Digest 2022 shows:
Private junior secondary schools increased by 35.06% from 2017 to 2022, while public schools only rose by 6.8%.
Private primary schools grew by 31.56%, compared to a modest 3.3% growth in public primary schools.
This rapid expansion of private education highlights increasing parental preference for non-state schools, despite concerns around affordability and regulation.
University Entry Age: 16 or 18?
The 12-year JSS1 age requirement indirectly supports the long-standing policy of 18 years as the ideal university entry age. However, the current Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, recently revised the university admission age down to 16, further stirring the debate about the appropriate academic trajectory for Nigerian students.
As the new policy rolls out, stakeholders—particularly parents, school administrators, and education planners—are expected to realign their practices to comply with the government’s framework aimed at ensuring quality, equity, and structure in Nigeria’s educational system.