This directive is part of a new policy on Non-State (private) Schools launched by the Ministry of Education to address growing disparities in education quality across privately run institutions.
Providing a breakdown of age-based progression in early education, the Ministry stated: “Nursery education shall be of three years’ duration. Children shall be admitted into Nursery One when they attain the age of three years, Nursery Two on attaining the age of four, and one year of compulsory pre-primary education (Kindergarten) on attaining the age of five years, in accordance with the specification of Section 2(17) of the NPE, 2013 Edition.”
On the primary and junior secondary school transition, the policy adds: “Basic education shall be of nine years’ duration. There shall be a six-year primary and a three-year Junior Secondary School (JSS). Children shall be admitted into Primary One when they attain the age of six years. Every child must complete six years of primary education. They shall be admitted into Junior Secondary School (JSS1) when they have completed six (6) years of primary education, at around the age of twelve (12) years.”
Students are now expected to finish secondary school at 18, aligning with the earlier university entry age. Private schools dominate junior secondary education, according to the 2022 Education Digest.
According to the document, “Non-state schools outnumber state schools in at least 26 states of the federation at the Junior Secondary level, whereas at the primary level, state schools outnumber non-state schools in 19 states of the federation.”
It also notes significant growth in the private education sector over the past five years: “The growth in the number of non-state schools between 2017 and 2022 (the last five years reported) has been faster than that of state schools. Non-state primary schools grew in number by 31.56 per cent between 2017 and 2022, while state schools grew in number by 3.3 per cent within the same period. At the Junior Secondary level, non-state schools grew in number by 35.06 per cent between 2017 and 2022, while state schools grew in number by 6.8 per cent only within the same period.”
