The federal government has mandated that applicants who are less than 18 years old cannot be admitted to postsecondary schools.
During a monitoring exercise of the ongoing 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory, on Monday, the direction was given by Minister of Education Tahir Mamman.
He denounced the actions of certain parents who were pressing their minor children to apply to universities.
According to the minister, the 6-3-3-4 educational system is consistent with the 18-year norm.
Although 18 is the minimum age to enter the university, we have seen applicants who are 15 or 16 years old show up for the entrance exam.
It is important to advise parents not to push their children too hard. This is mostly being caused by parental pressure.
The candidates are too young to comprehend the purpose of a university education, so we will examine this development.
Children go from a controlled to an uncontrolled environment during this time, when they are responsible for their own affairs.
However, they won’t be able to handle appropriately if they are too young. In my opinion,
Regarding the development of skills for individuals who will not be able to enroll in postsecondary institutions, Mr. Mamman stated that the ministry is bringing skills to elementary school students.
In general, just 20% of applicants are accepted into universities, polytechnics, and education colleges.
Where will the remaining 80% go, then? For this reason, the problem of skill acquisition is crucial.
“Acquiring skills is the only way to ensure that any student who is unable to continue their education beyond primary and secondary school can lead a meaningful life after graduation,” the speaker stated.
The JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, affirmed the minister’s stance on the 18-year standard for admission to postsecondary schools by stating that the 18-year standard is consistent with the 6-3-3-4 educational system.
