FG Sets 12 Years as Minimum Age for JSS1 Admission

 FG Sets 12 Years as Minimum Age for JSS1 Admission

The Federal Government has introduced a new policy setting 12 years as the minimum age for pupils seeking admission into Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1).

The directive is contained in a newly released policy document on Non-State Schools, launched last week by the Federal Ministry of Education. The policy stipulates that only children who have completed six years of primary education and are about 12 years old will be eligible for JSS1 admission.

The document also establishes a structured age framework for early childhood education. It specifies that nursery education will last three years—Nursery One starting at age three, Nursery Two at age four, and a mandatory year of pre-primary education (Kindergarten) at age five.

According to the Ministry, this framework aligns with Section 2(17) of the 2013 edition of the National Policy on Education (NPE).

“Every child must complete six years of primary education,” the document states. “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 policy aims to standardize entry age across schools and ensure that children are developmentally prepared for the academic and social demands of secondary education.