18-year-old candidates not barred from writing WASSCE, NECO –FG

The Federal Ministry of Education has given a clarification that the ministry had not barred students below 18 years from writing the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council exams (NECO).

The clarification was made by the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, in Abuja on Friday while addressing journalists at an event to mark the 2024 International Literacy Day.

Sununu expressed disgust at the public misunderstanding of what the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, earlier said about the issue.

“Nobody said no child will write WAEC, NECO or any other examination unless at age 18. This is a misconception and misrepresentation of what we have said,” he said.

According to him, the minister was speaking on the 18 years of entry age into the tertiary institutions as was practised in the 6:3:3:4 system of education, but not WASSCE and NECO.

“We have agreed that we are going to consider it as a work-in-progress. The National Assembly is working and we are also working,” he song.

“It was shocking to say that a university in this country gave admission to children at ages 10, 11 and 12 years. This is totally wrong.

“We are not saying that there are no exceptions, we know we can have talented students that have the IQ of an adult even at ages six and seven, 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.

While making a remark on International Literacy Day, Sununu stressed the critical role of literacy in engendering mutual understanding, peace and socio-economic development.

While emphasising youth and adult literacy as key components he also stressed the importance of using learners’ mother tongues as a medium of instruction.

“We must focus on the role of a learner’s first language in becoming literate, which will foster mutual understanding and peace,” Sununu added.