Nigerian teachers, represented by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), have criticized the Federal Government’s decision to ban candidates under the age of 18 from taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examination Council (NECO) exams.
This criticism follows an announcement made by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who stated on Monday that a new age policy has been instituted for secondary school leaving examinations in Nigeria.
The policy sets a minimum age requirement of 18 years for candidates wishing to sit for the WASSCE, which is administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), overseen by the National Examinations Council (NECO).
Additionally, this age requirement extends to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Candidates must now be at least 18 years old to take the UTME.
In response, Dr. Mike Ene, the Secretary-General of the NUT, expressed his opposition to this policy in an interview with PUNCH. He argued that societal changes, such as early enrollment in crèches due to economic pressures, make it impractical to impose age-based restrictions on learning.
Dr. Ene explained that for the policy to be effective, it should be implemented from the very beginning of a child’s education.
He recalled that in the past, before a child was allowed to start school, they had to pass a basic test, such as reaching their hand over their head to touch the opposite ear. If they were unable to do this, they were deemed too young for school and sent back home. However, he noted that times have changed. Due to economic pressures, parents now often enroll their children in crèches at a much younger age, since both parents are typically working. As a result, children begin their education earlier, and their learning progresses more rapidly.
He emphasized that learning should not be halted simply because of age, as the human brain is designed to continue developing with learning. If learning is restricted or stopped, brain development stagnates. Dr. Ene criticized the new policy, describing it as poorly thought out. He raised concerns about exceptional students, some of whom might be as young as 16 years old in their final year of secondary school (SS3).
He questioned whether the Minister of Education had considered these scenarios, asking what these younger students would do if they had to wait an additional two years before being eligible to take the exams. He predicted that the policy could lead to numerous legal challenges and urged the government to reconsider it thoroughly.
Earlier, NewdayReporters reported that the Minister of Education argued that 18 years is the appropriate age for a student to be ready for university admission. He noted that during a meeting with JAMB in July, it was agreed to allow a grace period for parents this year. This means that JAMB will admit students below 18 years of age for this year only. However, starting next year, the age requirement of 18 will be strictly enforced for all university admissions in Nigeria.
Prof. Mamman also emphasized that this policy aligns with the standard educational trajectory in Nigeria. He explained that if one calculates the typical duration of a child’s education from early childhood care through primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary school students usually reach about 17 and a half years old by the time they are ready for university admission.
