Education in Nigeria happens to be overseen by the federal ministry of Education. the local authorities are given the opportunity of implementing a state-controlled policy regarding public education and state schools. In Nigeria, the Educational System is divided into two, which includes Kindergarten, Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary education.
Nigeria’s Central government has been dominated by instability Since declaring independence from Britain, and as a result, a unified set of education policies is still to be implemented.
Education Levels in Nigeria
Primary Education LevelÂ
Primary education commences at around the age of 5 for most of the majority of Nigerians. Students spend up to six years in primary school and graduate with a school-leaving certificate. The subjects taught at the primary level include mathematics, English Language, Christian Religious Knowledge, Islamic knowledge studies, Agricultural science, Home economics, and one of three main indigenous languages and cultures: Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo.
Some private schools also are offering computer science, French, and Fine Arts. Primary school students are required to take a common entrance examination to qualify for admission into the federal and state Government Secondary schools which includes private ones.
Secondary Education Level
Students are expected to spend, six years in Secondary School, which is 3 years of JSS (Junior Secondary School) and 3 years of SSS (Senior Secondary School). During these three year of Junior secondary education, Students take up Mathematics, English, Social Studies, Home Economics, c or Fine arts. and so on. Senior Secondary curriculum should base on 4 core subjects completed by 4 or 5 elective subjects.
The core subjects being English; mathematics; Economics; Civic Education one or more electives out of Biology, Chemistry, Physics for Science class; one or more out of English literature, History, Geography, Agricultural Science or a vocational subject which includes: Book Keeping, Commerce, Food and Nutrition, Technical Drawing among the 17 other subjects.
Promotional Examination of the Primary & Secondary Education Level in Nigeria
With the introduction of the 6-3-3-4 system of education in Nigeria, the recipient of the education in Nigeria, the recipient of education would spend about six years in primary school, and about three years in Junior secondary school, three years in senior secondary school, and four years minimum of 4 years in a tertiary institution.
The Six years that were spent in primary school and the three years spent in junior secondary school have been merged to form the nine in the 9-34 system. Altogether, all the students are expected to spend at least six years in secondary school.
During this period, students would be required to spend about three years in their Junior Secondary school and about three years in senior secondary school.
The General certificate of education examination (GCE) was replaced by the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE). It is conducted at the end of the secondary school studies in May/June. The GCE is conducted in October/November as a supplement for those students who did not get the required credits from their SSCE results.
Tertiary Education in Nigeria
The government has most of the controls of university education. Nigeria tertiary education includes Universities (Public and Private), Polytechnics, monotechnic, and colleges of Education. in other to increase the number of universities in the country, the Nigerian government-licensed 9 new private universities in 2015.
The first-year requirements for most of the universities in Nigeria include a minimum of SSCE/GCE Ordinary Level Credits at a maximum of two sittings; minimum cut-off marks in the joint admission and matriculation board entrance examination (JAMB) of 180 and above of a maximum of 400 marks are required.
All candidates that are in possession of minimum merit pass in the national certificate of Education (NCE), National Diploma (ND), and other advanced level certificates minimum qualifications with a minimum of 5 O/L credits are offered direct entry admission into the appropriate undergraduate degree programs.
The required age to enter a university in Nigeria is 17-18. Once you are in the age group, you would be able to study for an academic degree in Nigeria.