The Federal Government recently announced that from next year, the official age to sit for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO), the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) is 18 years. This stance by the government has generated heated arguments among education policymakers, school owners, teachers, parents, and students. KINGSLEY ALUMONA, YUSUF ABDULKADIR, AWAU ADEGOKE, AYOMIDE MAKINDE, ELIZABETH INNOCENT and OLUWADARASIMI FAJOBI sampled the opinions of some Nigerians on this matter. Their views:
Stephen Gbadamosi
This is, to say the least, an absurdity of a policy, particularly at a time when other pressing and life-threatening issues are confronting Nigerians. What happens to people who are putting 16-year-olds in the family way? You have a plethora of geniuses who have bagged PhDs before the age of 25 across the world, including Nigeria. I think we have retrogressives in government, not progressives.
Helen Akpabio
I am in full support of the Federal Government’s new policy on education. As a teacher, I know what we see in schools. I have seen cases where a child whose cognitive domain is not fully developed is struggling to understand things taught and the teacher reteaching what ought to have been taught in primary school. There is slowness even in assimilating what the teacher is teaching. Some parents would expect teachers to perform magic, whereas some of them are the cause. They compare their children with their friend’s children. We need to go back to the 6-3-3-4 education policy. By this, the child is developed holistically towards his or her academic pursuit. I know a student who finished SSCE at 13 years. She is staying at home till she gets to the right age she would attend university.
Ayoola Ishola
There is no action that does not have its advantages and disadvantages, and this government policy on education is one of them. The Federal Government has to consider that many people do not have the privilege to enter higher institutions in one sitting, and the earlier they allow young people to act the better. Many advanced countries with students within this same age bracket are already done with higher education and facing face life. Delaying people who may enter the university at the age of 25 years would be a demerit to some extent.
Additionally, if they want to make it mandatory, that means they should look into the way people are resitting the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) if they do not gain admission on the first attempt. JAMB should let students’ results be valid for at least five years unless the student willingly sits for another one.
In conclusion, many people who are below 18 years old usually have the mental and emotional intelligence to be free to attend higher institutions at such an age. This is where the parents or guardians and the government need to find a solution to this issue.
Ayomide Olamoyegun
I graduated with first-class honours at 19, having completed my secondary education at 15. Setting 18 years as the official age for SSCE might ensure maturity. However, individual readiness is crucial. I made the First Class because I was ready and not restricted. Graduating early enabled me to start my career sooner, bringing youthful energy and fresh perspectives that drive innovation and societal change. It also opens the possibility of early retirement. Instead of focusing solely on age, we should emphasise academic and emotional readiness, allowing students to advance at their own pace.
Oladiti Adekunle
The effects of early graduation from primary school before the age of 12 and secondary school before the age of 18 cannot be overemphasised. It encourages mushroom private schools to excel in destroying government-owned schools. Private primary schools could accommodate pupils of any age to enrich themselves through unknowledgeable parents who want their wards’ quick and faster schooling.
Some private schools establish miracle examination centres to be dictating answers to pupils during Common Entrance and SSCE examinations. Also, the unreadness of the teachers in government-owned school to work effectively is causing a total collapse in public schools.
Another challenge is the destruction of our curricula and academic activities. Our curricula are designed to take care of age and academics, but changed the system upside down by putting the system and children under undue and needless pressure to attain our goal of graduating before the stipulated time whereby causing problems to our society
Most people meant to regulate the education sector are not sincere because they compromised standards and sought bribes during oversight functions. People may want to compare our system with what is obtainable overseas, but that is where we get it wrong. We cannot excel until we disembark from lip services and do the right things. And those commissioned to regulate and superintendent should be disciplined enough to ensure good standards with tenacity.
If you understand the spirit and the letter of the Nigerian national curriculum, you would not have a problem with the application of what is already embedded in the curriculum. Such a person would flow with the need of their children not just attaining intelligent quotient age but corresponding chronological age to aid the maturation needed to navigate each level of education.
Karimot Odebode
The Federal Government’s stance to peg 18 years as the official age to write SSCE is concerning and would pose a huge problem to the educational advancement of our country. We live in a world where young people are encouraged to pursue education and skills development as early as possible to stay competitive in a global economy. Pegging 18 years as the official age to write SSCE will stifle the ambitions of younger, brighter students who are ready to advance. We should focus on quality, not age restrictions. It is sad that in a world where other countries are focused on more ways to make education accessible and qualitative, the Federal Government is making it less accessible to Nigerian society with this policy.
Aliyu Olajumoke
I support the Federal Government’s decision to set 18 years as the official age to write SSCE. At this age, students are generally more mature and better equipped to handle the academic and emotional challenges of such a critical exam. This policy also promotes equity, giving students from diverse backgrounds the time they need to fully develop their skills. Additionally, aligning with global standards, this age requirement ensures that Nigerian students are better prepared for higher education and the workforce, ultimately fostering more well-rounded and competitive individuals.
Ashiri Babs
The minimum age for university admissions should remain 16 years. That is still fair. In a country like Nigeria, where tertiary education admission is not guaranteed after finishing secondary school, using age as a major criterion is ill-thought. Many students have to apply for university admission more than two or three times before they can be considered. And, there are issues of strike and unforeseen internal crises ravaging some institutions which might lead to prolonged delay. If 18 years is fixed, then the minimum age for unemployment and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should be raised. I would urge the minister of education and his team to review these decisions.
Temidayo Olanrewaju
The decision of the Federal Government to standardise the age for sitting for SSCE as 18 years would have both positive and negative effects. It would ensure that students are emotionally and academically prepared for the examination and every other academic step after writing the examination. That is the positive side. However, it might limit opportunities or serve as an obstacle to younger students who have everything it takes to write the examination before attaining the age of 18, talking about intelligence and academic diligence.
I took the examination at 14 years old and passed well, and it has helped my academic journey to transit at a faster pace. The Federal Government should drop the bar by two or three years. This would ensure fairness, as students would not be compelled to wait for a particular age.
Akinwale Aboluwade
Our elected representatives should place priority on important issues rather than setting age limits for entry into higher institutions. Considering the uncertainties that becloud how long students in public universities and their public tertiary education institutions spend due to incessant strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other academic and non-academic unions, pegging the admission age to 18 years is illogical and a sheer waste of time for our students.
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