Ministry of education refutes claim to bar students from writing exams
The Nigerian government through the Minister of State for Education, Tanko Sununu says, contrary to insinuations in the public space, the ministry has not banned students who are not up to 18 years of age from writing the annual West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, and the National Examinations Council, NECO, exams.
The Minister made the clarification on the sidelines of an event to mark the 2024 International Literacy Day (ILD), with the theme: “Promoting Multilingual Education: Literacy for Mutual Understanding and Peace.” held in Abuja, Nigeria.
Sununu said statements being attributed to the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Maman are misinterpretations, stressing that the insinuations are highly disappointing.
He said that the Minister only spoke on the National Policy of the 18 years entry age into the tertiary institutions under the 6:3:3:4 system of education.
According to Professor Mamman, under the National Policy, a child is expected to be six years old before gaining entrance into Primary School, spend three years in Junior Secondary school, JSS, and another three years in Senior Secondary school, culminating to 18 years before heading to the university to spend four years.
He said despite the under-age admission into higher institutions, which has been observed, the ministry equally takes into consideration those with exceptional intelligence Quotient, IQ, who even at 6 years of age possess adult learning capacity, adding that the ministry is working on guidelines for such students to be easily identified.
