Parents, students react as FG warns tertiary institutions against admitting candidates under 18 years

…As Education Minister commends JAMB

By Sodiq Adelakun

The recent directive issued by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, regarding the admission of candidates under 18 years old to tertiary institutions, has sparked a wave of diverse responses from students and parents alike.

The directive, disclosed during a monitoring exercise of the ongoing 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory,  on Monday addresses concerns surrounding the pressure placed on underage students by some parents to gain admission into tertiary institutions.

According to the Minister, the establishment of an 18-year benchmark aligns with the 6-3-3-4 system of education and aims to curb such pressures and ensure that students enter higher education at an appropriate age.

While some stakeholders have applauded the directive as a necessary step to protect young students from undue academic pressure, others have criticised it, citing concerns about limiting opportunities for academically advanced individuals and questioning its alignment with broader education policies.

The debate surrounding this directive underscores the complexities inherent in educational policy-making and highlights the need for a balanced approach that considers both the welfare of students and the integrity of the education system.

“The minimum age of entry into the University is 18, but we have seen students who are 15, 16 years going in for the entrance examination.

“Parents should be encouraged not to push their wards too much. Mostly, it is the pressure of parents that is causing this.

“We are going to look at this development because the candidates are too young to understand what the whole university education is all about.

“This is the period when children migrate from controlled to uncontrolled environment; when they are in charge of their own affairs.

“But, if they are too young, they won’t be able to manage properly. I think that is part of what we are seeing in the Universities today,” he said.

On skill acquisition for those who will not be able to gain admissions into tertiary institutions, Mamman said the ministry is taking skills to pupils from primary school.

“In overall, it is 20 percent that can be admitted into the University, Polytechnic and Colleges of Education system.

“So, where will the 80 percent go? That is why the issue of skills acquisition is very important.

“Any student who is unable to proceed to tertiary institutions should be able to have a meaningful life after primary and secondary school’s education and the only solution to this is skill acquisition,” he said.

Corroborating the minister’s position on the benchmark of 18 years for admission to tertiary institutions, the JAMB spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin said 18 years is in line with the 6-3-3-4 education system.

In an interview with NewsDirect, a parent, Mr Adeboye said that his daughter has demonstrated remarkable academic prowess by excelling in her West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations.

Expressing his plea to reconsider the directive, Adeboye highlighted the unfair limitation it imposes on bright and capable students like his daughter.

According to him, “I’m deeply concerned about the government’s directive. My daughter has proven her academic prowess by excelling in her West African Examination Council (WAEC) at the age of 14. It’s disheartening to think that she might have to wait several years before pursuing her dreams at the tertiary level.

“I implore the authorities to reconsider this decision, as it unfairly limits the opportunities for bright and capable students like my daughter who are ready to take on higher education challenges at a younger age.”

Another parent, Mrs. Tanigbola expressed deep concern over the government’s directive restricting tertiary admission for students under 18. Her 13-year-old son, having excelled in his WAEC exams, faces the prospect of missing out on educational opportunities and potentially falling into negative influences without the structure of formal education.

Tanigbola fervently pleads with authorities to reconsider the decision for the sake of her son’s future and well-being.

She said, “I’m deeply troubled by the government’s directive. My son, at the age of 13, has already demonstrated his academic capabilities by passing his West African Examination Council (WAEC).

“Keeping him out of tertiary education not only deprives him of opportunities but also exposes him to the risk of falling into bad company while idle at home.

“Without the structure and guidance of formal education, he may be vulnerable to negative influences from peers who are not pursuing further studies. I fervently plead with the authorities to reconsider this decision, as it not only impacts my son’s future but also his safety and well-being.”

In a separate interview, a final year student in University of Ibadan, Mr Akingbola stated: “I find it distressing to witness underage students frolicking and displaying mesmerising attitude in school while I, at 22 years old, had to wait longer to gain admission to tertiary institutions, that’s why I took my time to face my studies.

“This directive should be implemented as it will help to maintain good educational gap and seriousness among students in higher institutions.”

Meanwhile, Tolulope shared his experience with one an underage female students of about 14 years in Joseph Ayo Babalola  University (JABU) stating that there was an argument at a time in class, he said the underage teen in question almost slapped him because he ignored her for not answering him at a point in time.

He urged that the directive should be immediately implemented so that tertiary institutions in Nigeria can have serious minded students and produce job-ready graduates who are ripe enough to face reality in and outside the four walls of the classrooms.

Meanwhile, The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu who was in the monitoring team applauded the conduct of the 2024 UTME, particularly, the introduction of online examinations as a way of checking malpractices.

He said the Computer Based Test (CBT) had reduced examination malpractices to the barest minimum.

Sununu commended the Board for setting a simple but high standard for the examination.