The Federal Government has defended its recent decision to bar students under 18 from taking the Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE, accusing parents of hurrying their children.
In July, the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, said that starting from 2025, candidates below 18 years old will not be allowed to sit for SSCE.
The policy sparked controversy, with many parents and stakeholders criticising the move as restrictive and unfair.
However, during an Inter-Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja, Mamman explained that the decision is rooted in long-established laws and will benefit the country in the long run.
“Our laws, the Universal Basic Education Act and the Minimum Standards Policy Act, established in 1993, prescribe age limits and provisions for each education level,” Mamman said.
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“A child is expected to enter school at six years of age, complete six years of primary school, three years of junior secondary, and three years of senior secondary.”
However, parents have been hurrying their children, getting them into school too early, sometimes skipping key education levels,” he added.
Mamman emphasised that the early completion of school by students too young to take on the SSCE is counterproductive.
According to him, students need to be adequately prepared to either further their studies or gain employable skills by the time they complete secondary school.
“Parents rushing their children through school disrupts the learning process. The curriculum we have introduced requires time for students to develop both academically and skillfully.
“The policy is designed to ensure that by the time students graduate from senior secondary school, they will either be ready for tertiary education or equipped with employable skills,” Mamman explained.
