18-year admission age detrimental, says NUT

The Nigeria Union of Teachers has said the 18-year age requirement for tertiary institution admission is detrimental to students’ progress.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman had planned to enforce the ban on underage admissions in 2025 at a stakeholders 2024 policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Examination.

Meanwhile, JAMB Registrar Prof. Isa’aq Oloyede has frequently expressed concerns about candidates under 18 years of age taking the UTME.

But Secretary-General, NUT, Dr Mike Ike-Ene, in an interview with The PUNCH, explained that extending the timeline to 2025 would be inefective.

He explained that if students are becoming too young for university, research was needed, saying the government should implement the policy starting six years from September this year, requiring children to be at least six years old to enter primary one.

“Now, if students are becoming too young for university, research needs to be conducted. Based on my observations, extending the timeline to 2025 won’t be effective. If we have the foresight, it won’t work. My suggestion is that the government should have set a policy to take effect six years from today, or from September of this year when the new session starts. They could mandate that children must be at least six years old to enter primary one.

“The rationale behind this is simple. Typically, primary education lasts six years, followed by six years of secondary education, divided into three years each for junior and senior levels. This totals 12 years. If a child starts primary school at six, they would be eighteen by the time they complete secondary school, with the oldest being around nineteen or twenty, depending on their progress through JAMB.

“My concern is why the sudden change? For example, children who will turn 16 in the next two or three years and finish school will be denied university admission. This is unfair and could lead to lawsuits, especially considering gifted children who accelerate through primary school. In a class of forty, there are always a few exceptional students who don’t need to copy others and understand the material effortlessly.”

Ike-Ene added that the policy seemed to somersault without proper research or public consultation, stating that the government should engage the public, presenting their reasons and allowing for a discussion of the pros and cons.

He said, “I also feel that some of these policies favor the northern regions. They perceive that the South benefits more from education. For instance, when I took JAMB, scoring below 190 or 200 was unacceptable for university admission. Nowadays, the cutoff is 140, which seems tailored for the north. It’s a way to level the playing field, but it disregards the gifted students who finish school early.

“This policy seems politically motivated. In my case, I finished secondary school before turning eighteen. Why should gifted students wait three additional years before entering university? This is a flawed policy.”

However, an educationist and Founder, Florishgate Consult, Mrs Dideolu Adekogbe, explained that setting 18 years as the appropriate age for tertiary education was a commendable decision, saying if implemented, would help reduce problems in higher institutions.

She said, “At 18, students enter adulthood, having spent 17 years building a foundation for this challenging phase of life. However, some parents, rushing the process, resort to corrupt practices to fast-track their children’s education. Schools facilitate this by double-promoting students and using advanced textbooks, which they consider a measure of brilliance. For example, a parent mentioned her child finished secondary education at 15 and had to stay home for a year because she couldn’t be admitted to a public university. Despite her maturity and excellent grades, the skipped two years in primary education can have long-term consequences.

“Overseas, rules are strictly followed, unlike in our country where rule compliance is challenging. The success of this policy hinges on government agencies’ commitment to its implementation. It is encouraging that Prof. Oloyede of JAMB is interested in this matter and is likely to make it work.”

Adekogbe lamented that universities were aware of the issues with underage candidates but continued to admit them.

“Collaboration with the Federal Government is essential for the policy’s success. Properly preparing students for adulthood, which takes 17 years, involves acquiring basic social and life skills and developing passions. This foundation allows them to take responsibility for their lives and learning.

“Adulthood is tough and requires adequate preparation. Getting the education process right can resolve many life aspects, including attitude, work environment, and even marriage issues, by 65-70 per cent,” she said.