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 education sector back.

The groups reacted to the comment by the Minister of Education, Prof. Mamman Tahir, that from 2025, any candidate who is not up to 18 would not be allowed to write the examination, and without doing so, such candidates won’t be able to seek admission to tertiary institutions.

The stakeholders, who spoke included the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the National Parent Teacher 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).

It will draw education back – NUT

Speaking on the matter, the Secretary General of the NUT, Dr Mike Ene, expressed disappointment at the development.

According to him, it would 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 and 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. Such students now, what will they be doing? Devil finds work for an idle hand now, ” he said.

Reminded that the minister and other supporters of the policy are talking about maturity of the students, Ene opined that he recognizes that, but that the situation has changed in today’s world.

“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,” he added.

We will go to court – Parents

The Deputy National President of NAPTAN, Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, minced no word when approached by Vanguard. He said the body would 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 in 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 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 time,” he stated.

Leave the age at 17 – CONUA

The National President of CONUA, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, said that his union would 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

The National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, called for obedience of 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 would 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, Oladapo Oludare Adekoya, described the policy as “Modern slavery mentality and approach.”

”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 automatically, ” he said.

We will respond later – WAEC

One of the bodies conducting SSCE, the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, said it would respond later.

Speaking in a chat, 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,” she explained.

What JAMB Act says on admission

The issue regarding what age is appropriate for writing some examinations started generating ripples early this year when Mamman said at the stakeholders meeting called by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, that admission age would 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 nee 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 the 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.”

Government’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 aged 18 but many students often graduate at 16 or less due to skipped grades.

In July, the education ministry introduced a policy setting 18 as the minimum age for tertiary institution admissions.

It however made an exception for the 2024 admission cycle which it said would accept candidates as young as age 16.

Mamman said such underaged students would 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 is 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,” the education minister clarified.

“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.”

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,” he said.

“In any case, NECO and WAEC, henceforth, will not be allowing underage 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.”

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 said pupils are expected to spend five years in early child care.

He said they would be six in primary one and complete primary school education at age 12.

The minister reiterated that the junior and senior secondary school levels together are for six years.

He blamed parents for “pressuring” their children and wards into embracing educational pursuits which they are too young to understand. He also defended his position, arguing that it is in line with the 6-3-3-4 educational policy.

On the face of it, the Minister is right. Eighteen years is the age of maturity or adulthood under our Constitution, and the university environment and academic content are tailor-made for matured minds. Under ideal circumstances, toddlers should be given adequate opportunities to develop systematically from the home up to the age of five or above before being sent to school. In the past, children were allowed to spend their formative years under parental and communal guidance for proper grounding before being exposed to Western education.

Even after their School Certificates in their late teens and twenties, they were required to attend Lower and Upper Six to obtain their “A” Level Certificates which qualified them for entry into the universities.

The structure and culture of education have changed in line with contemporary circumstances. The failure of the public educational system due to the neglect of teachers’ welfare and their training programmes has encouraged the upsurge of private investment in schools. Because of the profit motive of private educators, “schooling” has become available even to the suckling.

From very early infancy, children are sent to day care, creche and kindergarten before they commence primary schooling. Many working parents find this arrangement convenient, otherwise they would be forced to choose between work and staying at home to raise their infants. This is the main reason we have very young teenagers registering for the UTME.

Besides, many young parents see it as an advantage to quickly complete the education of their children before old age catches up with them. Asking children who are mentally qualified to sit for their UTME to wait till they are 18 sounds awkward, disruptive and out of tune with current realities. (Vanguard)

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