No WAEC Age Cap, but 12-Year-Olds in University Is ‘Totally Wrong’— Ministry of Education
The Federal Ministry of Education has debunked claims that it mandated a minimum age of 18 for students to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams.
The clarification was made by Dr. Yusuf Sununu, Minister of State for Education, during an event in Abuja marking the 2024 International Literacy Day.
Sununu expressed disappointment over the public misinterpretation of statements made by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, regarding age limits in education. He emphasized that the minister’s comments were about the recommended minimum entry age of 18 years for tertiary institutions, as per the 6:3:3:4 education system.
“There is a misconception that students must be 18 years old to write WAEC or NECO. This is not true,” Sununu stated.
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However, he raised alarm that some tertiary institutions in the country are admitting children.
“It was shocking to learn that some universities in Nigeria are admitting children as young as 10, 11, and 12 years old. This is totally wrong.”
He further stated that while exceptional cases of gifted students exist, where children possess adult-level IQs at a young age, these instances are rare and should not set the standard for all.
“We are not saying that there are no exceptions. We know we can have talented students with the IQ of an adult even at age 6 and 7, but these are very few.
“There must be a rule, and the ministry is looking at developing a guideline on how to identify a talented child so that parents don’t say we are blocking their children’s chances,” he added.
