FG Denies Barring Under-18s From WAEC, NECO

The Federal Government has denied stopping students below 18 years from writing the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, stated this in Abuja on Friday while fielding questions from journalists at an event to mark the 2024 International Literacy Day, ILD.

Recall that Education Minister Tahir Mamman had on August 25th said the Federal Government instructed the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, and the National Examinations Council, NECO, not to allow underage children to write their examinations.

But Sununu, while speaking, said that the public misconception and misinterpretation of what was said by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, was highly disappointing.

He said that the minister was actually speaking on the 18 years of entry age into the tertiary institutions as was practiced in the 6:3:3:4 system of education.

READ: FG Bans Under 18 From WAEC, NECO Exams

He said, “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.

“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 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.

“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.”