BY AWELE OGBOGU
A parent ‘bickering’ over the age-limit for admission, after his 15-year-old son was left out in the cold on account of his age, observed that it is now easier to get married before the age of 16 than to get admission into a higher institution in the country.
As the Minister of Education, Prof. Mamman Tahir made good a ‘unilateral’ decision to impose a bar on admissions based on age, he added that since the minister is from the part of the country where many get married before thinking of going to school, he may likely be nursing a hidden agenda, probably to endorse the practice at the detriment of the entire country.
The hapless parent above, Dr. Isaac Ikosi said he is seriously considering sending his 15-year-old son abroad to pursue her dream of becoming a medical doctor just like his father. Although the decision was to set the minimum age for university admissions at 18 years, those under 16 have emerged as the first set of casualties.
Explaining the policy, Mamman insisted that the law requires children to be in school at 18 years of age, having attended six years of primary school, three years in junior secondary school and three years in senior secondary school. “One of the primary motivations for the policy is the maturity and preparedness of students entering higher education. This decision also aims to address the quality of secondary education”, he said although only but a few seem to agree with him.
Ikosi said he is being forced to send his son and a daughter who would be seeking admission early next year either to Togo or Ghana. “I think it is an alternative to changing the children’s dates of birth. I am out to protect their bright future against a policy where the government is criminalizing the legitimate pursuit of one’s educational aspirations.”
Mr. Onuche Ugbede, told this reporter that the policy might delay the academic progress of exceptionally gifted students who are ready for university before the age of 18. He said that “such students may feel held back. This could lead to boredom and disengagement during their remaining years in secondary school. The talents of these students might not be fully utilised or developed if they are forced to adhere to age restrictions rather than academic readiness.
“The policy could impose additional burdens on secondary schools which might face increased pressure to accommodate students for longer periods. This could put a strain on resources and the facilities. The curriculum might need significant adjustments to keep older students engaged and adequately prepared for university, requiring additional training for teachers and potential financial investments. “Families may face prolonged financial commitments towards their children’s secondary education, impacting their overall financial planning and stability. Moreover, students entering university later will subsequently enter the workforce later, potentially affecting their earning potential and career progression.
“Ensuring compliance with the new age requirement could pose administrative challenges, especially in places with less stringent record-keeping and oversight. There may be inconsistencies in how the policy is implemented across different regions and schools, leading to potential disparities and perceptions of unfairness. “Another drawback is that the policy might reduce flexibility for students who wish to pursue alternative educational pathways, such as vocational training or early college programmes.”
Another parent, Angela Sani, said pegging the entrance age at 18 was not a bad idea because many parents, guardians and school proprietors rushed their children through elementary and secondary schools to enable them to finish academics very early in life. She said, “many of these children finish secondary school without any iota of maturity, and when they get to the university, so many usually fall into trouble because they lack the maturity to deal with certain issues, and a lot also graduate just with academic knowledge and no capacity to make meaningful decisions.” While blaming the early child education system which many parents have embraced to ease them of being with the kids, Eucharia said some parents now send their few-months-old babies to crèche and that before one knew it, they were through with primary school.
But she opined that those who had written the UTME like her son should be allowed to go, but that from next year JAMB should stop them at the point of registration. She advised that when a child finishes secondary school at the age of 16, the government and parents should provide an avenue for the child to learn a skill, trade or pre-varsity education before they are of age to go to university, noting that it would give them added advantage and keep them on track.
However, another parent, John Chibuike, said the news has unsettled his 15-year-old son who sat for the 2024 UTME. He said the son asked him, “daddy, does that mean I will not be going to university and that I have to wait for another two years to be qualified to go to school?’’ He said that although he was not faulting the pronouncement; the age decision would affect the children and won’t be fair to them.
He asked “how can I tell a child who has finished senior secondary school and obtained a good result and gets the required cut off mark and qualifies to go to the university to stay at home for another year or two because of age issue; it is already breaking his spirit that I fear for his performance in his studies in future.”
He blamed the system and the government for consistently introducing policies which does more harm than good to the system, saying, “when they insisted that children should start school early through crèche and early child education, they should have known that when they start early they will finish early too. They cannot bring confusion in the system now in the name of reviewing the age limit.”
In an interview with this reporter, a retired school principal, Mrs. Grace Akinduro, advised policymakers to restore the country’s old academic system with updated dynamics. She said, “until 1978, we had primary school, modern school, secondary school, higher secondary school, and technical school, college of education, polytechnic, and university.
“Our educational policy makers made a mistake when they abolished modern schools and rendered those who attended technical schools useless, making them feel inferior in society. They value certificates more than students’ acquired skills. We are witnessing capital flight in the artisanal sector. People who do such work today come from neighbouring countries.
“Rather than focusing on the age at which a child can be admitted to a higher education institution, they should redesign the old education system to meet today’s global socio-economic and technological demands.”
Stakeholders argued that 18 years as the minimum age was too high and the decision came at the wrong time, given that candidates below 18 have already written the exams. Stakeholders including vice-chancellors of both public and private universities and polytechnic rectors also kicked against the age enforcement, saying the decision would force students below 18 years to stay at home for two to three years more, since they were not informed earlier of their ineligibility. Responding, Mamman said the points raised were valid and so the minimum age be reduced from 18 to 16.
However, he said this was for the 2024 admissions and subsequently, 18 years would be the minimum age. In any case, NECO and WAEC, henceforth, will not be allowing under-age children to write their examinations. In other words, if somebody has not spent the requisite number of years in that particular level of study, WAEC and NECO will not allow them to write the examination”, Mamman said. Asked what the minimum age to write SSCE would be, the minister responded: “It is not a matter of age. It is the years spent at each level of education.” The minister, who said pupils were expected to spend five years in early child care, said they would be six in primary one and complete primary school education at age 12. He reiterated that the junior and senior secondary school levels together were for six years, blaming parents for “pressuring” their children and wards into embracing educational pursuits which they were too young to understand. The minister said his position is in line with the 6-3-3-4 educational policy of the federal government.
On the face of it, the minister is using a cut and dried approach to the entire gamut of what constitutes maturity in the learning process. Isoki queried: “does Mamman know more than the NUT?”. He was referring to the reaction of the Secretary General of the NUT, Dr. Mike Ene, who had expressed disappointment at the development. According to Ene, the government’s declaration will simply negatively affect the education sector. “One good thing about our minister is that he is a lecturer and also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. One hopes the policy will stand the test of time. They should have another look at the policy.
“They cannot just wake up and make such a decision. They did not consult widely. I am a member of the National Council on Education, NCE and we held a meeting in Lagos early this year. I am not sure such a matter was discussed. It is decisions taken at such a meeting that should be pursued. “The NCE comprises the ministers, commissioners for education in all states, the NUT, bodies such as WAEC, NECO, JAMB, UBEC and others. If that is done, what will become of gifted children?. Yes, in our days, people start school at six years, but we still had those who left secondary school before 18. “Now that our children start early, say by three years they are in creche, singing nursery rhymes, after that, they move on. So, they complete secondary school education before 18, some a little over 16. What will such students be doing? Devil finds work for an idle hand,” he said.
Reminded that the minister and other supporters of the policy were talking about the maturity of the students, Ene opined that he recognized that, but noted that the situation has changed in today’s world. He said: “we were asked to touch our ears and be up to six in those days. Now, both parents have to work to fend for their families and that is why people take their wards to school early.
“Apart from that, what about the gifted ones? It is like this policy is to draw back a section of the country. In many parts of the country, most children start school early.’’
The Deputy National President of NAPTAN, Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, minced no words, saying the body will challenge the matter 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,” he stated.
Now this is the latest- the Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to set aside the alleged age barrier imposed by the Federal Ministry of Education, which restricts applicants below 18 years from exercising their right to association and self-determination regarding enrolling to write the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations. The fundamental rights suit was filed by Mr. Maxwell Opara (on behalf of his son, Master Chinaemere), a lawyer, against the Ministry of Education, JAMB, and the National Universities Commission (NUC). In the suit filed last Monday through Wayne Chikezie Elijah Esq, Opara asked the court to declare that the age restriction for sitting for WAEC and/or JAMB examinations, as contemplated by the ministry, is unlawful and unenforceable, as it amounts to a gross violation of a child’s right to education.
In an affidavit supporting the application, Maxwell Opara stated that his son, Master Chinaemere, is an SS2 student at Sure Start Secondary School who is directly affected by the respondents’ Minimum Age for Admission Policy, which impedes his right to freedom from age discrimination and education, as enshrined in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. In six reliefs sought, the applicant sought a declaration that the respondents’ minimum age for admission policy to restrict the age of Nigerian citizens for admission into universities in the country is discriminatory and unconstitutional. He said it amounted to a gross violation of his right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution, 2011 (as amended) and Article 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 13(2), 17 and 28 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9 Vol. 1 LFN. He urged the court to declare that his right to peaceful assembly and association cannot be limited by the respondents’ admission policy.
He also sought a declaration that the policy, which restricts his age before exercising his right of association and self-determination as to when to enrol to write the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) and/or JAMB exams infringed on his right of equal access to public service. This, he said, is guaranteed under Article 13(2) and (3) of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9 Vol. 1 LFN.
Opara, therefore, sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents, from attempting to disturb, breach or interfere with his rights. He equally sought an order setting aside the policy. In the affidavit deposed to by Maxwell, he said he is the biological father of Chinaemere. He said Chinaemere is an SS2 student who is directly affected by the respondents’ minimum age for admission policy. He said the policy had impeded Chinaemere’s right to freedom from age discrimination and education as enshrined in the law. He said his son “read from the online newspaper that the 1st respondent stated that there’s no going back on the implementation of his policy which stated that any person below 16 years would not be qualified to get admission in the university no matter how brilliant the person is.
“That since then the applicant believes that his right to education has been or is likely to be violated. “That the applicant would enter SS 3 in this 2024/2025 academic session with his plan/arrangements of writing his WAEC, NECO AND JAMB in 2025 with his expectations of gaining admission in 2025/2026 university academic sessions. “That I know as of fact that in Nigeria, there is no specific age limit for gaining admission into universities. “However, candidates typically must have completed their secondary education and sat for WASSCE or its equivalent.
“That I know as of fact that in Nigeria most universities require candidates to meet certain academic qualifications, such as having a minimum number of credits in relevant subjects and passing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). “That I know as of fact that in Nigeria there is no federal or state law making age a barrier for the applicant to gain admission. “That the applicant strongly believes that he will perform excellently and make good grades in all the subjects that will be required for him to gain admission.
“That the applicant wants to study Medicine & Surgery whose duration is six years along with a mandatory 1-year youth service and 1-year compulsory Medical Externship totalling all 8 years”, Maxwell said. The case is yet to be assigned to a judge as of the time of filling this report.
Ikosi retorted that for all that the minister appears to know, he should go and have his day in court. “He has failed in the court of public opinion and may yet fail again”, he said.
