PTA Supports 12-year Entry Age for Secondary School

The Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria has expressed support for the newly approved policy mandating 12 years as the minimum entry age for pupils entering Junior Secondary School.

The guideline, contained in the policy document on Non-State Schools by the Federal Ministry of Education, stipulates that children must complete six years of primary education and attain the age of 12 before being admitted into Junior Secondary School. Non-state schools, also referred to as private, independent, or non-government schools, are institutions that the government does not manage. The policy says, “Basic education shall be of nine years’ duration. There shall be a six-year primary and a three-year Junior Secondary School. Children shall be admitted into Primary One when they attain the age of six years.”

It also outlines that nursery education will span three years: Nursery One at the age of three, Nursery Two at the age of four, and one year of compulsory pre-primary education (kindergarten) at the age of five, in line with Section 2(17) of the National Policy on Education, 2013 Edition.