By Stephen Gbadamosi
A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has called on the Federal Government to review its policy of pegging the minimum age for candidates to write West Africa School Certificate Examinations (WASCE) and other tertiary Institution entry examinations at 18 years, saying that may delay the progress of millions of children who are already at Senior Secondary School (SSS1) and (SSS2) and who are going to be at SSS 3 at ages below 18 years.
Recall that Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, recently announced a policy setting the minimum age for writing the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) at 18 years, starting from 2025.
Ajadi in a statement he personally signed at the weekend, said until recently, the age requirement for participating in the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) tertiary entrance examination was 16 years, wondering why the Federal Government just comes up hastily to alter the age requirements for the School Certificate Examinations.
He said he agreed with many stakeholders in the education sector who viewed the decision as a regressive step that failed to consider the realities of modern education.
“The new age limit, rather than enhancing educational outcomes, risks stifling student progress and diminishing the quality of education in Nigeria,” he said.
He added that government should maintain the minimum age for SSCE at 16 years, “as has been the practice,” saying this was a more balanced and sustainable approach.
“It allows academically ready students to progress to tertiary education without delay while ensuring those who need more time can take their steps gradually.
“Setting the minimum age for SSCE at 18 years is out of step with the global trend towards encouraging early academic achievements.
“Nigeria’s 6-3-3-4 educational system, which anticipates students finishing secondary school by age 18, does not account for the diverse academic paths students might take.
“Many students, particularly those who are gifted or started school early, complete secondary education well before turning 18.
“Imposing an age limit would unfairly penalised these students, forcing them to wait unnecessarily, which is both a waste of time and an impediment to their academic and professional growth.
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“Policy changes should not be hurriedly carried out. Moreso education is not on Exclusive List. It is on Concurrent List. Federal Government needs to contact and meet with the state governors before arriving at a policy changes on education.
“We have state secondary schools aside the federal government schools. Moreso, the school certificate examinations being conducted by WAEC are not only for Nigerian students, but for other West African countries. Why must we peg the age at 18 years while other countries write at a lower ages,” he queried.
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