Reps back FG’s ban on U-18 SSCE, UTME candidates
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The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education may have sealed the fate of under-aged applicants for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Recall that Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman had, in July 2024, stated that with effect from 2025, any candidate below the age of 18 would not be allowed to sit the SSSCE and without which such students could not secure admission to higher institutions of learning.
The announcement has generated heated debate among parents and education stakeholders.
In an exclusive interview with Punch, on Thursday, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education, Mark Useni, gave reasons the Federal Government might not likely reverse the decision.
He said, “The Committees on Basic Education and Examination Boards took this matter to the leadership of the House of Representatives. The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, promptly appointed the House Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvere, to moderate a meeting between the two committees and the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman.
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“The meeting was held on Wednesday, September 4, and the minister attended together with the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Sununu, as well as the heads of basic education examination bodies.
“The minister explained that the policy that relates to the 18 years age requirement for entry into the university is a policy that was developed before the adoption of the 6-3-3-4 system. He explained that the policy also has a root in the Universal Basic Education Act.
“Prof Tahir said the policy is not peculiar to Nigeria, while also making reference to military and paramilitary institutions which place the entry age at 18 years. He also said that the voting age in Nigeria is pegged at 18 years.”
Useni, a member of the All Progressives Congress representing Takum/Donga/Ussa Federal Constituency, Taraba State, frowned on the situation where children not older than 12 “are being made to seek admission into universities.”
“While the policy is meant to ensure that children pursue their education alongside their cognitive and physical development and maturity, the Ministry of Education should develop a framework for proper transition into a full policy implementation.
“The Ministry of Education must ensure that students who are already progressing in the senior classes in secondary schools are not left stranded after completion of that level of education.
“We mandated the minister and his team to work out ways of handling the policy based on data available to the ministry and ensure that the policy does not jeopardise public interest,” he added.
