The Federal Ministry of Education has debunked a report by popular Nigerian media house, Punch Newspaper alleging that the minimum age for admission into Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1) has been increased to 12 years.
In a statement released on Friday in Abuja by the Ministry’s Director of Press, Mrs Folasade Boriowo, the report was described as inaccurate.
She stated that it did not originate from any official source and did not represent government policy.
“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,” she said.
Boriowo urged members of the public and education stakeholders to disregard any conflicting reports.
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.
“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 advised the public, educational institutions, and media outlets to verify information from official sources before acting on or disseminating it.
(NAN)