A new minimum entry age of 12 years for pupils seeking admission into Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1) has been set by the Federal Government, reports Business TodayNG.
The policy, announced in a new document on Non-State Schools launched by the Federal Ministry of Education last week, specifies that only children who have completed six years of primary education and are around the age of 12 will be eligible for admission into JSS1.
The policy document also provides an age structure for early childhood education. It states that nursery education shall span three years, with children admitted into Nursery One at age three, Nursery Two at age four, and a compulsory year of pre-primary education (Kindergarten) at age five.
This framework, according to the Ministry, is in line with Section 2(17) of the 2013 edition of the National Policy on Education (NPE).
It further outlines that children are to begin Primary One at age six and must complete six full years of primary education before progressing to JSS1 at about age twelve.
“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 ministry said in the document.
