FG: Students who spend below 12 years in pre-tertiary school won’t write SSCE

Tahir Mamman, the minister of education, says students who have not spent the required number of years in primary and secondary school will not be allowed to write the senior school certificate examination (SSCE).

Nigeria operates the 6–3–3–4 system where a child enrols in school at age six for six years each of primary and secondary education.

At the end of secondary school, a Nigerian is expected to be aged 18 but many students often graduate at 16 or less due to skipped grades.

In July, the education ministry introduced a policy setting 18 as the minimum age for tertiary institution admissions.

It however made an exception for the 2024 admission cycle which it said would accept candidates as young as age 16.

Tahir Mamman, the education minister, says such underaged students will no longer be allowed to write the SSCE.

In an interview with Channels TV on Sunday, Mamman said the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) will no longer allow underage students to write their examinations.

The education minister was asked whether the status quo for the minimum age of admission into higher institutions is 16 or 18.

“It is 18. (years) What we did at the meeting that we had with JAMB was to allow underage candidates this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents,” the education minister clarified.

“JAMB will admit students who are below that age, but from next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to go to university in Nigeria meets the required age which is 18.”

Mamman said the policy of minimum age for tertiary school admission was not newly initiated by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

“This is a policy that has been there for a long time. If you compute the number of years pupils and learners are supposed to be in school, the number you will end up with is 17 and a half,” he said.

“In any case, NECO and WAEC, henceforth, will not be allowing underage children to write their examinations.

“In other words, if somebody has not spent the requisite number of years in that particular level of study, WAEC and NECO will not allow them to write the examination.”

Asked what the minimum age to write SSCE would be, the minister responded: “It is not a matter of age. It is the years spent at each level of education.”

The minister said pupils are expected to spend five years in early child care.

He said they would be six in primary one and complete primary school education at age 12.

The minister reiterated that the junior and senior secondary school levels together are for six years.