The federal government said it will no longer permit underage children to write the secondary school certificate examinations administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
The minister of education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, stated this on a television programme at the weekend.
He said both the WAEC and NECO should begin to enforce the 18-year age limit for candidates taking the WASSCE and SSCE exams, respectively.
The minister also clarified that it was not a new policy but a reinforcement of existing regulations.
“It is 18 (years). What we did at the meeting that we had with JAMB (in July) was to allow this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents that this year, JAMB will admit students who are below that age but from next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to go to university in Nigeria meets the required age which is 18.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a new policy; this is a policy that has been there for a long time.
“Even basically if you compute the number of years pupils and learners are supposed to be in school, the number you will end up with is 17 and a half – from early child care to primary school to junior secondary school and then senior secondary school. You will end up with 17 and a half by the time they are ready for admission.
“So, we are not coming up with new policy contrary to what some people are saying; we are just simply reminding people of what is existing.
“In any case, NECO and WAEC, henceforth, will not be allowing underage 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,” he said.
The minister also stated that the age limit for candidates taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), administered by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), remains 18 years.
When he was 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.”
He explained that children are expected to spend five years in early child care, sixth in primary one and complete primary school education at age 12.
He reiterated that the junior and senior secondary school levels together are for six years and blamed parents for pressuring their children and wards into embracing educational pursuits which they are too young to understand.
The minister reiterated that his position was in line with the 6-3-3-4 educational policy of the federal government.
