The Federal Government has announced the abolishment of secondary school students who are below the age of 18 from participating in the National Examinations Council and West African Examinations Council exams.
The new directive was announced by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during Sunday night’s appearance on Channels Television’s Political program Sunday Politics.
The minister noted that the federal government has issued the new directive to WAEC and the NECO who takes care of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the Senior School Certificate Examination, respectively to enforce the directive against every candidate who wishes to take the exams, He noted that 18 years will now be a requirement.
He noted that it was not a new policy but a directive to enforce the already existing policy.
He also disclosed that every candidate who wishes to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, administered by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, must be 18 years old as stipulated in the regulations. He noted that a recent meeting with JAMB concluded to allow only for this year candidates that at below the age of 18 to seat for the exam, explaining that su h will not be tolerated from next year 2025.
According to him, Jamb will henceforth insist on the age of all candidates.
He noted that statistically, every child who starts school ought to have finished secondary school and planned for university by the age of 17 and a half. He argued that if the calculation is properly done, every child will be ready for university by 18.
He denounced the comment from some citizens in the country stating that the government was common guo with a new policy. The minister retriated that the policy has been in place for years, and henceforth, no underaged citizen will be allowed to participate in any of the senior exams written in the country. According to him such step will stop students from defaulting some classes.
