FG sets minimum age for secondary school leaving exams at 18

The Nigerian Federal Government has announced a significant change in education policy, setting a minimum age requirement for secondary school leaving examinations. Minister of Education Tahir Mamman revealed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.

Key points:

1. Age Requirement: Candidates must be at least 18 years old to sit for secondary school leaving exams.
2. Affected Examinations: This applies to the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) by WAEC and the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) by NECO.
3. UTME Age Limit: The age limit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by JAMB remains at 18 years.
4. Implementation Timeline: The policy will be fully enforced from next year, with this year serving as a notice period for parents and students.
5. Existing Policy: Minister Mamman emphasized that this is not a new policy but a reinforcement of an existing one.
6. Educational Timeline: The minister provided a breakdown of the expected educational journey:
   • Early childcare: 5 years (ages 0-5)
   • Primary school: 6 years (ages 6-11)
   • Junior secondary: 3 years (ages 12-14)
   • Senior secondary: 3 years (ages 15-17)

Minister Mamman stated, “NECO and WAEC, henceforth will not be allowing underage children to write their examinations. In other words, if somebody has not spent the requisite number of years in that particular level of study, WAEC and NECO will not allow them to write the examination.”