JAMB: FG Announces Age Limit For UTME Candidates, Gives Reason, Analyst Reacts
- Prof. Tahir Mamman, the minister for education, has disclosed that the age limit for seeking university admission in Nigeria is 18
- The minister lamented that children of 15, 16, and 17 have been seen writing the ongoing UTME across the country
- Mamman then disclosed that the government will review the age of seeking higher institution admission in Nigeria
- Reacting, Dr Abubakar Sani, a public affairs analyst, said he agreed with the education minister but recommended age 16 as the benchmark.
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FCT, Abuja - The federal government, through the minister of education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has lamented the high underage level in Nigerian higher institutions.
He also disclosed that a plan is underway to review and impose an 18-year minimum age for admission seekers.
The minister made this known on Monday, April 22, while monitoring Abuja's ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
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What is the age to write JAMB, UTME?
According to Daily Trust, Mamman maintained that the ages of many of the UTME candidates were too young to understand what the rudiment of tertiary institution was all about.
The minister's statement reads in part:
“We are going to look at that. 18 is the entry age for university but you will see students, 15, and 16, going to the examination. It is not good for us. Parents should be encouraged not to push their wards or children too much.”
UTME: Education minister sends message to parents
He noted that the minimum age to enter university is 18, but children as young as 15, 16, and 17 were seen writing the ongoing UTME.
The minister then called on parents and guardians to allow their children to get to a certain level of maturity before writing the examination so that they can manage their affairs.
Mamman then commended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for a free and fair exercise, stating that adopting technology in the processes has streamlined the chances for examination malpractices.
JAMB: Analyst reacts, backs education minister
Reacting, Dr Abubakar Sani said he agreed with the position of the education minister but recommended age 16 as the benchmark.
Sani, a public affairs and security analyst and SSA to former Army Chief T.Y Buratai, told Legit.ng:
"I agree with the minister because anyone who spends nine years in Lower and Middle Basic and three years in Upper Basic will have spent a total of twelve years, so if a child starts primary one at six, he should be able to reach at least 18 years before he starts university.
"However, personally, I think sixteen years is OK. So in my own opinion, sixteen years is better. I think the minister's decision is informed by how parents encourage their wards to skip classes so that they can graduate quickly from secondary school, gain admission into university and then brag that my son is a graduate at 21 or so.
"If you look at the military school, for example, they don't even admit students into JSS1 until the boy is fourteen, so before a boy can graduate from NMS, he is already 20."
How to pass 2024 UTME
Legit.ng earlier reported that UTME 2024 candidates have been advised to equip themselves with some basic skills as they begin this year's JAMB.
Osunwoye Samuel, an admission seeker tutor for many years, said in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng that candidates can pass the exam well with the right approach.
According to the expert, 2024 UTME candidates are expected to equip themselves with basic computer skills to operate the CBT exams and demonstrate their smarts during the exercise.
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Source: Legit.ng
