I Didn’t Ban Under-18 Students From Writing WASSCE, NECO, Education Minister Clarifies

By Augustine Akhilomen

The Federal Ministry of Education has distanced himself from reports circulating in the media that he had placed a ban on students who are not up to 18 years old from writing the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, and the National Examinations Council, NECO, exams.

Recall that Education Minister Tahir Mamman had on August 25th said the Federal Government instructed the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, and the National Examinations Council, NECO, not to allow underage children to write their examinations.

However,the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, made the clarification in Abuja on Friday while fielding questions from journalists at an event to mark the 2024 International Literacy Day, ILD.

He said that the minister was actually speaking on the 18 years entry age into the tertiary institutions as was practiced in the 6:3:3:4 system of education.

“We have agreed that we are going to consider it as a work-in-progress. The National Assembly is working and we are also working.

“It was shocking to say that a university in this country gave admission to children at ages 10, 11 and 12 years. This is totally wrong.

“We are not saying that there are no exceptions, we know we can have talented students that have the IQ of an adult even at age 6 and 7, but these are very few.

“There must be a rule, and the ministry is looking at developing a guideline on how to identify a talented child, so that parents don’t say we are blocking their children’s chances.

“Nobody said no child will write WAEC, NECO or any other examination unless at age 18. This is a misconception and misrepresentation of what we have said,” NAN quoted him as saying.