Education: Minister Bans Underage Candidates from NECO, WAEC Exams

 

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, announced that underage candidates will no longer be allowed to sit for secondary school leaving examinations.

The minister made this known during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme monitored by Mega Icon Magazine.

Mamman stated that the Federal Government has issued directives to both the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to enforce an age limit of 18 years for candidates eligible to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), respectively.

He also emphasised that the age limit for candidates wishing to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), remains firmly set at 18 years.

“It is 18 (years). What we did at the meeting that we had with JAMB in July was to allow this year as a transition period and to serve as a notice for parents. This year, 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 explained.

The minister clarified that this is not a new policy, but rather a re-emphasis on existing regulations.

“Even if you compute the number of years pupils and learners are supposed to be in school, the total comes to around 17 and a half years – from early child care to primary school to junior secondary school and then senior secondary school. You will end up with 17 and a half years by the time they are ready for admission,” he said.

He further elaborated that WAEC and NECO will now enforce this age requirement strictly, ensuring that candidates who have not spent the requisite number of years in their educational levels will not be allowed to sit for the examinations.

Breaking down the educational timeline, the minister stated that early care is expected to last for the first five years. Pupils begin primary one at age six, spend six years in primary school, transition to junior secondary school at age 12, spend three years there, and finally move to senior secondary school at age 15, where they spend three more years before being eligible for university admission at age 18.