Federal Government Rejects Claims of JSS1 Admission Age Raised to 12

The Nigerian federal government has adamantly opposed raising the minimum age of entrance into the nation’s junior secondary schools (JSS) from 10 to 12.
The minimum age limit for admission to universities and other postsecondary educational institutions is still 16 years old, the administration added.
Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, reportedly provided the clarifications in a statement released on Saturday.

According to him, the Punch Newspaper published a false and misleading report claiming that the Federal Government has raised the minimum age requirement for admission to Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1) to 12 years old.

The disputed information, according to Alausa, did not come from any official source and does not represent governmental policy.

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Thus, he called on the public to ignore the first news.

According to the statement: “The Federal Ministry of Education has expressed concern about a false and misleading article in The Punch Newspaper that suggested the Federal Government had established a new minimum age of 12 years for Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1) admission. The Ministry wants to make it clear that this report is completely untrue, did not come from a government source, and does not represent government policy.

The minimal age to be admitted to JSSl is still ten years old, just to be clear. No child should, therefore, finish elementary school before the age of ten. All stakeholders in education, including the general public, should disregard any suggestion to the contrary since it is deceptive.

The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has reaffirmed that 16 is the minimum age required for admission to Nigerian universities in a similar manner. This policy is standard, non-negotiable, and applies to all students, regardless of when they may have finished secondary school. According to the Ministry, pupils’ cognitive and emotional preparedness for increased academic involvement is guaranteed by this age criterion.

The Federal Ministry of Education requests that before acting upon or disseminating unconfirmed material, the general public, educational institutions, and media outlets always seek confirmation through official means. The Ministry is still dedicated to upholding developmental appropriateness and transparency in the execution of all educational policies in accordance with the Renewed Hope Agenda.