Education

Atiku Knocks Nigerian Govt Over 18-Year Age Limit For NECO, WASSCE

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted the Federal Government over the 18-year age limit for students writing West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, and National Examination Council, NECO, examinations, calling it a barrier to scholarship.

EKO HOT BLOG recalls that the Federal Government, through the minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, had announced a ban on individuals below 18 years from participating in the NECO and WAEC exams.
Appearing on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ programme, the Minister said the Federal Government has instructed WAEC and NECO to enforce the age requirement for candidates taking these exams.
Reacting via his Facebook page on Wednesday, the 2023 People’s Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, labelled the policy as controversial, calling for universal condemnation from those who value intellectual freedom and accessibility.
“The recent policy of the Federal Ministry of Education pegging age limits for entry to tertiary institutions is an absurdity and a disincentive to scholarship.
“The policy runs foul of the notion of delineation of responsibilities in a Federal System of government such as we are practising, and gives a graphic impression of how the Tinubu government behaves like a lost sailor on a high sea.
“Otherwise, how is such anti-scholarship regulation the next logical step in the myriad of issues besetting our educational system?
“To be clear, the Nigerian constitution puts education in the concurrent list of schedules, in which the  sub-national government enjoys more roles above the Federal Government,” he stated.
According to him, the most effective global approach is to allow sub-national governments to establish their education laws or regulations.
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Ochefu Owoicho

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Ochefu Owoicho

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