Two advocacy groups, the Campaign for Equal Rights and Opportunities for all Nigerians (CERON) and the Concerned Parents and Educators (CPE), have condemned the Federal Government’s plan to enforce an age restriction of 18 years for students registering for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) from next year.
CERON, through its Executive Secretary, Mr. Francis Odiir, called the policy “strange and unthinkable,” stating that it would hinder educational growth in Nigeria.
In a statement released over the weekend in Makurdi, Odiir emphasised that the policy contradicts global practices where governments encourage early completion of secondary education.
“Our question is, what does the Minister of Education intend to achieve by introducing this policy? Even if the policy existed before but wasn’t implemented, why introduce it now?” he asked.
CERON urged President Bola Tinubu to discard the policy, arguing that many Nigerian children complete secondary education before turning 18.
“The Education Minister must realize that we live in an age of exceptionally brilliant children who, even at a young age, are breaking new grounds and cannot be held back by this archaic policy,” Odiir added.
Similarly, the CPE, led by its coordinator Yinka Ogunde, released a statement on Friday, calling for an immediate reassessment of the proposed age restrictions.
The group expressed concern about the long-term consequences of the directive, describing it as an arbitrary decision with far-reaching negative implications for the youth and society.
Ogunde’s statement highlighted the potential for “hundreds of thousands of students” to be left idle for two to three years, awaiting the chance to sit for exams critical to their future.
“The government should realize that this is not just an educational concern but also a social one with potential long-term repercussions,” the statement read.
CPE recommended addressing the issue at the foundational level by pegging the primary school admission age at 6 years and secondary school admission age at 12 years, rather than imposing restrictions at the terminal stage of secondary education.
Both CERON and CPE have called on the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman to reconsider the policy and engage in dialogue with stakeholders to devise a more balanced solution that considers the best interests of Nigerian children.
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