The Federal Ministry of Education has emphasized that it has not prohibited students below the age of 18 from taking the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, and the National Examinations Council, NECO, assessments.
During a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, provided this clarification while addressing questions from the media at an event celebrating the 2024 International Literacy Day, ILD.
However, Sununu expressed that the widespread misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the comments made by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, was quite disappointing.
He clarified that the minister was actually addressing the 18-year age requirement for entry into tertiary institutions, as was established in the 6:3:3:4 educational system.
“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.
