By Gabriel Dike, Grace Jacob, Victory Milton, Sharon Umeasalugo; Magnus Eze, Jude Chinedu, Enugu; Fred Ezeh, Abuja; Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki; Emmanuel Uzor, Awka and Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Is the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, aware that the bulk of SS111 students in Federal Government Colleges nationwide are underaged and preparing to write the May/June 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)?
It is obvious that minister is also not aware that the age for admission into any of the Unity Colleges is 10 years for JSS1. The implication is that 10 year-old pupils would graduate at the age of 16 and not eligible for admission into the university.
Admission into unity colleges is currently on going and handled by the ministry in Abuja. Many pupils, who applied into the 104 Federal Government Colleges, are between eight and 10 years.
In 2019, a federal government college in Lagos had about 70 percent of the pupils at eight and nine and these pupils would write WASSCE and SSCE as well as the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in 2025 as “underaged” pupils.
A concerned parent told the Daily Sun that in 2019, there were about 60 percent of eight years old pupils in JSS1 in one of the Federal Government Colleges in Lagos.
The decision of the Federal Government to peg 18 years before students can write the WASSCE and SSCE has put schools, parents and even the students in a dilemma. Investigations revealed that many of the SS3 students that would write the May/June 2025 WASSCE are under 18 years, thus can’t be presented for the school exam. Parents have already paid for the WASSCE and NECO ahead of resumption this month.
Mixed reactions from parents
A businessman, Mr. Alabi Adetuga, said: “The decisions are unhealthy. If the pronouncement is not reversed it will affect many SS3 students. The minister ought to take his directive to the National Council on Education (NCE), the highest policy organ on education issues for approval and not take a unilateral decision that would affect millions of students.
“WASSCE and SSCE are two important terminal examinations. A sudden decision to peg the age limit to write the exams is unacceptable.”
A retired principal and education consultant, Mr. Adebayo Adeniyi, said: “I blame parents and some schools for producing ‘underaged’ kids found in the universities. Many are not psychological mature. Most of them got double promotions and some did not get to SS3 before writing WASSCE or SSCE and even the UTME.”
An education consultant and school proprietor, Chukwuma Okonwa: “On the one hand, said the policy is commendable. It will ensure that children are not rushed through school in Nigeria. It has become a culture for parents to enroll underage children in primary school and to insist that those kids do not complete the six-year compulsory curriculum in primary school but write the common entrance examination in primary five.
“The same desperation of parents is equally seen when these kids are registered to write UTME, WASSCE and SSCE in SS2 rather than in SS3, when they might have completed the curriculum for senior secondary school. Of course, if those kids were allowed to complete the mandatory curriculum, they would surely be only ready for university education at age 18.
“On the other hand, the policy is ill-timed, considering the fact that this policy does not directly address the fundamental challenges of learning crisis, unfair admission criteria for various regions and indiscipline that currently pervade our learning systems. The policy tends to limit the pace of the high fliers without necessarily creating a template for the rest to catch up with the optimal learning pace.
“For the minister to prioritise this policy as pivotal barely one year after his appointment is a sad indicator that he may be far away from addressing the roots of our educational problem.”
A parent, Hilary Thelma, said: “The government is completely wrong in this policy. I suggest that the policy should be immediately reversed if the implementation has commenced, or be halted if it’s still at planning stage. This decision has more disadvantages than otherwise.
“The implication of this policy is that it will cause academic stagnation, students would be roaming around aimlessly after they might have completed their secondary school at below 18, thus making them vulnerable to various social vices.
“The decision is an unwise one. Some of these children are exceptionally brilliant and intelligent, hence the academic speed they enjoy. I perfectly understand that government may have its reasons for the decision, but they should know that the disadvantage of this policy is far more than the goal they want to achieve.
“We will raise the matter at the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meeting and discuss it extensively and possibly make a categorical media statement to register our displeasure with the decision or policy of the government.”
In Ebonyi State, a parent said: “So if my child finishes secondary school at 16 or 17 years, he will stay for a year or two at home before coming back to register for WASSCE? This administration is taking us backwards. The minister should drop the policy in the interest of the students and the education system.”
Another parent, Mathew Ogbonnaya, said: “It’s quite laughable. This will actually reduce the number of people sitting for WAEC and NECO. It will stop parents from skipping classes for their children.”
President, Nigerian Parents Forum (NPF), Monday Eze, told Daily Sun: “With due respect to the minister, Nigeria Parents Forum sees the directive as impracticable because it is both abusive and frustrating to the children. Does the man realize that many parents have paid for WASSCE and SSCE in line with the bill given by the ministry for unity colleges nationwide?
“Can the ministry cope with the legal issues the obnoxious policy will generate? Why is the minister not interested in the many problems facing the education sector like lack of teachers and facilities? There are unity schools in Hadejia (Jigawa) and in Ebonyi states where there are SS2 classes and there are no science laboratories and workshops! Yet the minister is not talking about it!
“Why does the minister feel that a 13 -year-old child should be married but a 17- year-old child should not have university admission? Nigerian parents are asking, whose interest is the minister trying to protect with this bizarre policy?
“This order of the minister is capable of destroying the future of our gifted children and pushing them into yahoo plus, money ritual, crime, prostitution and other vices if it is allowed to stand.
“Nigerian parents want critical stakeholders of the education sector and indeed the Nigerian citizenry to rise against the policy.”
A parent in Anambra State, Mrs. Georgina Okpala, asked: “How can the government wake up one day to change a policy that has been in place for a long time? I am not aware but I don’t think it’s a good one they should think about it and cancel it.
“If this is implemented many students would be denied of writing the exam. My son is just 16 and I can’t afford keeping him at home for another two years before he attains the age to write the exam.
“It will mean spending extra money registering them in extra moral classes and what about those that cannot afford it, that means what was learnt by the students would be forgotten and there would be more mass failures.
“Every parent wants their children to be through with their studies as early as possible considering the high fees paid in private schools. Of course, you know the public schools are not longer in good conditions so after spending a lot of money one expects his or her children to get over with schooling on time.”
In Enugu State, a teacher and parent, Promise Okoye, said: “At 18, students become mature teens and this will help them to cope with the university environment. This may not go down well with some parents, who are only interested in rushing their children through school.
“The only issues are students who are ready to take this exam. What becomes of them? What do they do for two or three years? Also the government should have a way to accommodate exceptional students. Yes, there are students who are exceptionally good and you don’t have to stifle these kids for any reason.”
In Lagos, Hamudat Ekungomi, a mother of two, said: “Most students sit for the two exams in case they fail one, the other will serve as a back up to enter university. The directive will affect the plan I have prepared for my son that at 20 years he will graduate from the university. Government should rescind the policy.”
A parent, Mrs. Chinyere Akueli, said: I am not okay with the new government policy because it will affect my child from finishing secondary school and will wait for some years just because they are not up to 18.”
Another parent, Mrs. Achalugo Blessing, a trader said: I totally agree with the government on this one, because after secondary school I stayed home and was even working before I got enrolled into the university at the age of 18.
“Entering the university at adulthood is okay because the person will have a good and mature sense of reasoning. I feel that the implication of the government policy to the children is that some will be sad. Once you are done with secondary school learn a skill or two or start work and when you are done with university aside what you studied you can use that skill you acquired to make ends meet.”
A businesswoman, Mrs. Chiazam Precious, said: “It is not right because I feel like it is pausing the child’s life so the government needs to put these things into consideration and undo the policy if possible.”
STUDENTS DECRIED POLICY
Elora Mikayla, a 15-year-old student in one of the public schools in Kubwa, Abuja, said herself and other students have not been formally notified by the school about the development, even though they have heard about it from family members and friends.
She, however, expressed concerns that the policy is going to affect so many students if it’s implemented by the government, “Imagine finishing secondary school at 15 years, and you are forced to wait till you are 18 years to be qualified to sit for WASSCE and SSCE,” she added.
A 16- year-old final year student of St John’s International School, Awka, Daberechi Okafor said the policy would affect their education, as it will reduce the zeal in acquiring education.
Okafor said though they have not been told by their school about the policy, her father had informed her of the matter which she described as rubbish.
“It’s not our fault that we met up before our age. Some of us are very brilliant and we had accelerated educational growth and that is why some of us got to SS3 at the age of 16. So telling us to wait until we clock 18 will retard our growth and reduce the zeal,” she stated.
Also speaking, Kenechukwu Okoli of Igwebuike Grammar School, Awka said the policy is good to some extent but lamented that the implementation period was faulty.
He said the implication of the implementation of the new policy would result in backlog of students waiting for admission.
Students across major secondary schools across in Anambra State have called on President Bola Tinubu to call the Minister of Education to order.
Some of students who spoke to our Correspondent expressed dissatisfaction with the declaration of age limit for students to sit for senior secondary school examination certificate.
In Imo State, majority of the students, who our Correspondent sort their knowledge of the 18 years new age policy of the Federal Government for WASSCE and SSCE completely feigned ignorance.
The students claimed their teachers have not informed them and parents and most parents also do not know of the new policy.
Eberechi Nwosu, a final student of one the public schools in Owerri said I don’t believe this. I’m just hearing it from you now but I will find out from our teachers.
Another student who simply identified herself as Ngozi said the Federal Government’s new policy will not come to fruition. “We have had such things before it will not work I’m yet to get to 18 years myself, does that mean I will not write WAEC after attending school from primary to secondary. “
Students, parents and stakeholders in Enugu State expressed mixed feelings over the decision of the Federal Government to ban students who are below 18 years of age from writing the May/June WASSCE and SSCE.
A student, Doris Udeh, said that she was not aware of the ban though she thinks the policy will frustrate so many students who are already eager to sit for the exams.
“My birthday was last week Wednesday. I am 17 now and in SS3. I will write WAEC and NECO next year. So I will be 18 years old by the time we will be writing the exams. So I will not be affected.
“But there are many of my classmates, who are 15 years old. Some are 16 years old. The problem is what they are going to be doing after they are done with SS3 class. They may decide to go into learning handwork. Some may just stay at home.
“This will affect them negatively when they finally come of age to write their exams. It will affect them during the exams because they have forgotten most of the things they learnt in class. This could lead to examination malpractice on the part of both teachers and students.
“This issue could also lead to a temptation to change their age so they can qualify to participate in the exams. This is not good for society. I think what the government wants to do is unfair. They should consider us before making some decisions.”
Another student, Chidimma Anigbo, said she has not been able to sleep well since she heard the news from her father’s radio. Anigbo, who is in SS3, was 16 years in March, so she will only be 17 years old when the next WAEC and NECO come around.
“I feel so much pain. I don’t even want to talk about it. I have not been able to sleep well. I don’t know how I will be watching my classmates writing exams, leaving secondary school and gaining admission into the university and I will just be here.
Kosochuku Anazia, a 16 years SS3 students of St Vincent Secondary School, Bameke Shasha, Lagos, said she is aware of the new policy WAEC and NECO and very happy about it because it will reduce the rate of student that are not mentally fit to face the outside World without their parent, for her she will use the two years to build herself and plan better for her future.
