Controversy Erupts Over FG’s New Policy Pegging WASSCE/JAMB Age at 18

The Federal Government’s recent decision to set the minimum age for writing the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) and the Joint Admissions Matriculation Examination (JAMB) at 18 has sparked mixed reactions across Nigeria.

While some educators, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), support the policy, arguing that it will ensure students are emotionally mature before entering higher institutions, others, including parents and teachers, have expressed strong opposition.

Critics argue that the policy could potentially stifle the academic progress of gifted students and disrupt the educational aspirations of many families.

Professor Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education, announced that the policy, which takes effect in 2025, aims to align with Nigeria’s 6–3–3–4 educational system, where students begin schooling at age six and complete secondary education by 17 or 18.

He stated, “It is 18 (years)… from next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to go to university in Nigeria meets the required age which is 18.”

The policy is intended to ensure that students spend the requisite number of years in school, thereby maturing both academically and emotionally before advancing to tertiary education.

However, many parents and education advocates feel the policy is out of touch with current realities, particularly as children are starting school earlier and often completing secondary education before age 18.

Opponents of the policy, including the Deputy National President of the National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, have vowed to challenge the decision in court if it is not reversed.

Ogunbanjo argued,

“The policy is simply not in tune with the reality of the times.” He also questioned the future of gifted children and those who complete their education early, asking, “What do they want those who leave secondary school before 18 to do?”

Meanwhile, ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, defended the policy, stating, “The children would be emotionally mature by 18 when they get to higher institutions.”

As the debate continues, the education community remains divided, with many questioning whether the new age requirement will benefit or hinder the nation’s educational progress.