BREAKING: Reps members take shocking decision on ban on under-18 students taking SSCE, UTME, details emerge

• The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education has backed the Federal Government's decision to set 18 as the minimum age for taking the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE)
• From 2025 onward, candidates under 18 will not be allowed to sit for the SSSCE, as announced by the Minister of Education, sparking significant debate among parents and education stakeholders
• Chairman Mark Useni, during a September 4 interview, noted that the policy was developed before the 6-3-3-4 system

The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education has indicated that the Federal Government’s recent decision to set a minimum age for candidates taking the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) is likely to remain in place.

In July, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced that starting in 2025, candidates under the age of 18 would be ineligible to sit for the SSSCE, a requirement for admission to higher education institutions.

House of Representatives Members speak on ban on under 18 students from writing SSCE and UTME Photo credit: @Orderpaper
Source: Twitter

This policy has sparked widespread debate among parents and education stakeholders.

Why we may not reverse ban, Reps explains

However, on Thursday, September 4, the Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education, Mark Useni, explained why the government is unlikely to reverse the decision.

He said:

“The Committees on Basic Education and Examination Boards took this matter to the leadership of the House of Representatives. "The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, promptly appointed the House Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvere, to moderate a meeting between the two committees and the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman.“The minister explained that the policy that relates to the 18 years age requirement for entry into the university is a policy that was developed before the adoption of the 6-3-3-4 system. He explained that the policy also has a root in the Universal Basic Education Act."

PTA backs decision to ban WASSCE, NECO exams to candidates aged 18

In another report, Legit.ng reported the Parents Teachers’ Association (PTA) has voiced its approval of the Federal Government's new policy, which prohibits candidates under the age of 18 from taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examination Council (NECO) exams.

Education Minister Tahir Mamman recently revealed that the Federal Government has implemented a new policy, establishing 18 as the minimum age for students to sit for secondary school leaving exams.

Source: Legit.ng