Tahir Mamman says the ministry of education plans to develop
guidelines that will enable exceptionally brilliant students to gain admission
into tertiary institutions before the age of 18.NAN reports that the minister spoke at the ministerial
session of the 68th National Council on Education (NCE) meeting in Abuja. The 68th meeting is themed “Innovation, Digital Technology,
and Entrepreneurship: Tools for Education and National Development”. In July, the education ministry introduced a policy adopting
18 as the minimum age for tertiary institution admissions. It said the policy, which is to take effect in 2025, will
ensure candidates are mature enough to deal with the rigours of tertiary
education. It further said candidates who do not spend the required
years in primary and secondary school would not be allowed to write the SSCE. The age policy has been critiqued, with stakeholders
concerned that exceptional students could be unduly shut out of tertiary
education. At the NCE meeting, Mamman said there is a need for clarity
on the minimum age policy which has dominated the media discourse.He said the ministry is working to establish guidelines that
would guarantee admission for exceptional students who may be under 18. “The ministry is
simply emphasising the age requirement for entry into tertiary institutions as
outlined in the National Policy on Education, the UBEC Act, and the Education
(Minimum) Standards Act 1993,” Mamman added. “It is not about the age for participating in WAEC, NECO,
NABTEB, or any ordinary level examinations.” 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
aged 18 but many students often graduate at 16 or less due to skipped grades.
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