- Education sector divided over Federal Government’s 18-year Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) age limit
- Chief Ogunbanjo announced the National Parents/Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) intention to challenge age policy in court
- Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) urged for strict adherence to Federal Government’s regulation
Reactions from key figures in the education sector have emerged in response to the Federal Government's decision to impose an 18-year age requirement for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE).
Among those who have voiced their opinions are the Congress of University Academics (CONUA), the National Parents/Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The organisations reacted to Minister of Education Professor Tahir Mamman’s statement that starting in 2025, candidates must be at least 18 years old to sit for the examination; otherwise, they will be barred from seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
CONUA pushes for 17-year minimum age
Dr Niyi Sunmonu, CONUA's National President, remarked that the union would endorse keeping the age limit for seeking further education admission 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,” Sunmonu stated.
NAPTAN vows to challenge age policy in court
Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, the Deputy National President of NAPTAN said that the organisation will contest the issue 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 to 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 up 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 times.” Ogunbanjo stated.
ASUU urges compliance with education sector guidelines amid new age policy
Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, the National President of ASUU, stressed the importance of following the sector's rules and regulations.
“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 will reduce in number.”
“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,” Osodeke stated.
3,500 teaching jobs up for grabs as FG announces recruitment for Unity Colleges nationwide
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Federal Government announced the plan to recruit 3,500 new teaching staff to improve educational quality.
The government further revealed it trained over 1,000 workers and constructed 53 vocational centres to meet the skills demands of youth.