Important education stakeholders have denounced the Federal Government’s decision to set the age limit for students to sit for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations, or SSCE, at 18, claiming that this will only cause the industry to regress.
The groups responded to the statement made by Professor Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education, stating that starting in 2025, candidates who are under the age of eighteen will not be permitted to take the exam and will not be able to apply for admission to postsecondary institutions unless they do so.
Stakeholders that spoke with Vanguard yesterday included the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Congress of University Academics (CONUA), the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and the National Parents/ Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN).
Mamman hinted at the new policy when he spoke on a Sunday night television program.
Nigeria uses the 6–3–3–4 system, in which a child starts primary and secondary school at age six and attends for six years each.
Nigerians are typically expected to be around 18 years old when they graduate from secondary school, but many drop out at 16 or younger because they skipped some classes.
The policy establishing the minimum age for admission to tertiary institutions at 18 years old was introduced by the Ministry of Education in July.
It did, however, make an exception for the 2024 admission cycle, stating that candidates as young as 16 would be accepted.
According to Mamman, these younger students will no longer be permitted to take the SSCE.
When asked if 16 or 18 was the current minimum age of admission to universities, the Education Minister responded in the affirmative.
“The age is eighteen (years). We decided to allow underage candidates this year and use it as a kind of notice for parents during our meeting with JAMB.
