By Obasola Olatunde
The Federal Government has clarified that Mathematics remains a compulsory subject for all students sitting for O’Level examinations, dismissing reports that it had been waived for candidates in the arts and humanities.
The clarification came on Sunday through a statement by Boriowo Folashade, spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Education, following public backlash over an earlier announcement suggesting that Mathematics would no longer be required for some categories of students.
According to Folashade, all students, regardless of their field of study, must register and sit for both English Language and Mathematics in their O’Level exams.
However, she explained that the new reform only affects university admission criteria meaning that while some programmes may no longer demand a credit pass in either subject, candidates are still required to take both during their secondary school examinations.
“This adjustment affects only admission requirements, not the obligation to sit for these subjects,” the statement read.
The ministry stressed that the clarification was not a policy reversal but a correction to earlier misinterpretations.
The controversy began after an earlier pronouncement by the ministry suggested that students in the arts and humanities would no longer need a credit in Mathematics for tertiary admission a move educationists said could lower academic standards and encourage complacency.
With the latest clarification, the government reaffirmed that English Language and Mathematics remain the foundation of basic education, even as flexibility is introduced in tertiary admission policies.