No more 18-year age admission restriction for tertiary schools
We will go with 16 years and we are going to meet with JAMB
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa has reversed the decision of the past minister of education on the 18-years admission benchmark into tertiary institutions.
Alausa spoke at his inaugural press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to him, what led to that initial decision was the way the National Policy on Education was designed.
”We will not be going forward with the 18-years admission benchmark. We will go with 16 years and we are going to meet with JAMB and others on that.
”There will also be exception for the gifted students. 18-years is not part of our policy again,” he said.
Addressing the withdrawal of certificates obtained from Benin Republic and Togo, Alausa stated that the policy would remain in place to help eliminate fake certificates from the system.
Regarding the out-of-school children issue, he noted this as a key priority for the ministry, adding that various solutions would be considered to reduce their numbers.
He said the ministry will collaborate with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to provide conditional cash transfers as incentives for students to increase school enrollment.
He also mentioned that nutritional programmes would be introduced to support students’ health, thereby enhancing human capital development.
BRANDECONOMY reports that the Minister, along with the Minister of State for Education, Dr Suwaiba Ahmad, was officially welcomed by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Nasiru Sani-Gwarzo.
In July, the Federal Government directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, to admit only 18 years old candidates into tertiary institutions.
The then Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, made the policy known in an address he delivered at the 2024 Policy Meeting on Admissions to tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
He said information at his disposal revealed that enrolment of underage candidates is inflicting serious damage not only on the university, but also on the education system
