WAEC Exam
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.
WAEC Exam
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.
WAEC Exam
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.
