FG speaks on alleged raising of JSS1 admission age to 12 years

By Funmilayo Adeyemi

The Federal Ministry of Education has described a report that it has raised the minimum age for admission into Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1) to 12 years as false and misleading.

The report, published by The Punch Newspaper was debunked in a statement released on Friday in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Education’s Director of Press, Mrs Folasade Boriowo.

The Ministry described the report as ‘entirely inaccurate’ as it noted that it was not attributed to any official source and did not reflect government policy.

She clarified, “For the avoidance of doubt, the minimum age for admission into JSS1 remains 10 years.

Accordingly, no child should complete primary education below the age of 10.”

Boriowo urged the public and education stakeholders to disregard any contrary claims.

The statement also quoted the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who reaffirmed that the prescribed minimum age for admission into Nigerian universities is 16 years.

He emphasised that the policy was consistent, non-negotiable, and applied regardless of how early a student completed secondary school.

“The Ministry maintains that this age benchmark ensures the cognitive and emotional readiness of students for higher academic engagement,” the statement added.

The Federal Ministry of Education urged the public, educational institutions, and media outlets to always seek clarification from official sources before acting on or publishing unverified information.

(NAN)