Critical stakeholders in the education sector have condemned
the decision of the Federal Government to peg the age at which students can
write the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations, SSCE, at 18, saying
it will simply draw the sector back.
The groups reacted to the comment by the Minister of
Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, that from 2025, any candidate, who is not up
to 18 will not be allowed to write the examination and without doing so, such
candidate won’t be able to seek admission into tertiary institutions.
The stakeholders, who spoke with Vanguard yesterday,
included the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, the National Parents/ Teachers
Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, the Congress of University Academics, CONUA,
the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU and a member of a
non-governmental organisation, Concerned Parents and Educators Network, CPE.
FG’s position
Mamman, who spoke on a television programme on Sunday night
dropped the hint about the new policy.
Nigeria operates the 6–3–3–4 system where a child enrols in
school at age six for six years each of primary and secondary education.
At the end of secondary school, a Nigerian is expected to be
about 18 years old, but many students often graduate at 16 or less due to
skipped grades.
In July, the Ministry of Education introduced a policy
setting age 18 as the minimum age for tertiary institution admissions.
It, however, made an exception for the 2024 admission cycle
which it said will accept candidates as young as age 16.
Mamman said such under-aged students will no longer be
allowed to write the SSCE.
The Education Minister was asked whether the status quo for
the minimum age of admission into higher institutions was 16 or 18.
“It is 18 (years). What we did at the meeting that we had
with JAMB was to allow underage candidates this year and for it to serve as a
kind of notice for parents.
“JAMB will admit students who are below that age, but from
next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to go to university in
Nigeria meets the required age which is 18,” the Education Minister clarified.
Mamman said the policy of minimum age for tertiary school
admission was not newly initiated by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“This is a policy that has been there for a long time. If
you compute the number of years pupils and learners are supposed to be in
school, the number you will end up with is 17 and a half.
“In any case, NECO and WAEC, henceforth, will not be
allowing under-age children to write their examinations.
“In other words, if somebody has not spent the requisite
number of years in that particular level of study, WAEC and NECO will not allow
them to write the examination,” he said
Asked what the minimum age to write SSCE would be, the
minister responded: “It is not a matter of age. It is the years spent at each
level of education.”
The minister, who said pupils were expected to spend five
years in early child care, said they would be six in primary one and complete
primary school education at age 12.
He reiterated that the junior and senior secondary school
levels together were for six years, blaming parents for “pressuring” their
children and wards into embracing educational pursuits which they were too
young to understand.
The minister said his position is in line with the 6-3-3-4
educational policy of the federal government.
On the face of it, the minister is right as 18 years is the
age of maturity or adulthood under the Constitution, and the university
environment and academic content are tailor-made for mature minds.
It will draw back education – NUT Reacting to the issue
yesterday, the Secretary General of the NUT, Dr Mike Ene, expressed
disappointment at the development.
According to him, the government’s declaration will simply
negatively affect the education sector.
“One good thing about our minister is that he is a lecturer
and also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. One hopes the policy will stand the test
of time. They should have another look at the policy.
‘’They cannot just wake up and make such a decision. They
must consult widely on it. I am a member of the National Council on Education,
NCE, and we held a meeting in Lagos early this year I am not sure such a matter
was discussed. It is decisions taken at such a meeting that should be pursued.
“The NCE comprises the ministers, commissioners for
education in all states, the NUT, bodies such as WAEC, NECO, JAMB, UBEC and
others. If that is done, what will become of gifted children?. Yes, in our
days, people start school at six years, but we still had those who left
secondary school before 18.
“Now that our children start early, say by three years they
are in creche, singing nursery rhymes, after that, they move on. So, they
complete secondary school education before 18, some a little over 16. What will
such students be doing? Devil finds work for an idle hand,” he said.
Reminded that the minister and other supporters of the
policy were talking about the maturity of the students, Ene opined that he
recognized that, but noted that the situation has changed in today’s world.
He said: “We were asked to touch our ears and be up to six
in those days. Now, both parents have to work to fend for their families and
that is why people take their wards to school early.
“Apart from that, what about the gifted ones? It is like
this policy is to draw back a section of the country. In many parts of the
country, most children start school early.”
We will go to court —
Parents
The Deputy National President of NAPTAN, Chief Adeolu
Ogunbanjo, minced no words when approached by Vanguard, saying the body will
challenge the matter in court.
“We have spoken to some lawyers on the matter, they said we
should just be patient for the year 2025 to roll in. Around March next year,
before WAEC and others start to conduct the SSCE, we will sue the government if
they refuse to drop the policy. We will go to court because the minister wants
to draw education back to the country.
“They simply want to kill knowledge and education in the
country. They also want to kill the aspirations of parents to get their wards
educated. It will mess up the education sector. Let them just leave the policy
at 16 years.
‘’The world has changed and we must change with it. What do
they want those who leave secondary school before 18 to do? The policy is
simply not in tune with the reality of the times,” he stated.
Leave the age at 17 —
CONUA
On his part, the National President of CONUA, Dr Niyi Sunmonu,
told one of our correspondents that his union will only support leaving the age
to seek admission for further studies at 17.
“We are reiterating our earlier position. When the minister
said early in the year that when he monitored the UTME, he saw some young chaps
writing the exam and canvassed pegging the year at 18, we said 17 is okay.
“A student can leave secondary school at 16 or a little
above that and seek admission for higher education at 17.
“The minister should call a meeting of stakeholders in the
sector to deliberate on it. The policy should go through the process of
acceptance by all and even be legislated upon by the National Assembly. Parents
want to be free from the burden of educating their children as soon as
possible,” he said.
Why the rush? — ASUU
Reacting yesterday, the National President of ASUU,
Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, called for obedience to the rules and regulations
guiding activities in the sector.
“Let parents do the needful by putting their wards in school
at six years. The children would be emotionally mature by 18 when they get to
higher institutions.
‘’It is the proliferation of private schools at all levels
that is driving opposition to this policy. If the public schools are good for
everyone, then those patronising private ones will reduce in number, “ he
stated.
Asked what would become of gifted children, Osodeke said the
number in that category is not high.
“Regarding what those who pass out of secondary school
before 18 would do, their parents should be responsible for that. If they rush
them to school, they should make arrangements to take care of them before they
move on to higher institutions, “ he added.
It is slavery
mentality — CPE member
A member of the CPE, Mr. Oladapo Adekoya, described the
policy as “modern slavery mentality and approach.”
Adekoya said: “These people are never serious. The real
issues they will neglect and keep pursuing shadows. At 18, a young adult should
be fully set to launch a career path, if all necessary skills and abilities are
properly impacted.
“The curriculums themselves are outdated and practically
useless. Let’s concentrate on the issues that matter, then the issue of age on
admission will set in automatically.”
We will respond later
— WAEC
One of the bodies conducting SSCE, the West African
Examinations Council, WAEC, said it will respond later.
Speaking in a chat, the Head of Public Relations, Moyosore
Adesina, said: “We have not been informed yet. The Head of National Office will
speak on the matter later. You know that WAEC conducts such exam in other West
African countries too and Nigeria is not the sole authority over the body.”
What JAMB Act says on
admission
The issue regarding what age is appropriate for writing some
examinations started generating ripples early this year when the Education
Minister said at a stakeholders’ meeting called by the Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board, JAMB, that the admission age be pegged at 18.
His view was opposed vehemently by other stakeholders and
the age was left at 16.
Findings show that the law setting up JAMB is silent on the
issue of age. It is the Senate of a university that spells out guidelines on
admission to the various departments and faculties and most universities agree
to 16 years as admission age for new intakes.
According to the JAMB Act 1989, which spells out the
functions of the Board , Education Minister and others, the minister has the
right to give directives to the body.
Schedule A, Section C said it is the duty of the Board to
place suitably qualified candidates in tertiary institutions, in collaboration
with institutions.
However, Schedule 2 says “Subject to the provision of this
Act, the Minister may give the Board directives of a general character or
relating generally to particular matters with regards to the exercise by the
Board of its functions under this Act and it shall be the duty of the Board to
comply with such directives.”
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