The Federal Ministry of Education has debunked a misleading report by The Punch Newspaper claiming that the minimum age for admission into Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1) has been raised to 12 years.
In a statement released on Friday in Abuja by the Ministry’s Director of Press, Mrs Folasade Boriowo, the Ministry said the report was entirely inaccurate.
She added that it did not come from 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.
