Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has berated the Federal Government of Nigeria over its controversial policy that pegged age limits for entry to tertiary institutions and writing both the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination and Senior Secondary School Examination at 18, describing it as absurd.
It will be recalled that the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman while featuring as guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, was quoted as saying that the Federal Government had instructed The West African Examination Council (WAEC ) and National Examination Council (NECO) , not to allow individuals under 18 years to take part in the examimations being conducted by the two bodies
But Atiku reacting to the policy in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, says the policy belongs to the stone ages.
The 2023 Peoples Democratic Party PDP presidential candidate wondered how such anti-scholarship regulation the next logical step in the myriads of issues besetting Nigeria’s educational system.
The statement reads in part , “Tinubu’s policy on age limit for tertiary education admission belongs in the Stone Ages.
“The recent policy of the Federal Ministry of Education pegging age limits for entry to tertiary institutions is an absurdity and a disincentive to scholarship.
“The policy runs foul of the notion of delineation of responsibilities in a federal system of government such as we are practicing, and gives a graphic impression of how the Tinubu government behaves like a lost sailor on a high sea. Otherwise, how is such anti-scholarship regulation the next logical step in the myriad of issues besetting our educational system?
To be clear, the Nigerian constitution puts education in the concurrent list of schedules, in which the sub-national government enjoys more roles above the federal government.
“Therefore, it is extra-constitutional for the federal government to legislate on education in a manner similar to a decree.
“The best global standard for such regulation is to allow the sub-national governments to make respective laws or rules on education.
“It is discouraging that even while announcing this obnoxious policy, the government inadvertently said it had no plan to cater for specially gifted pupils. That statement is an embarrassment to the body of intellectuals in the country because it portrays Nigeria as a country where gifted students are not appreciated.
"The irony here is that should the federal government play any role in education, it is to set up mechanisms that will identify and grant scholarships to gifted students not minding their ages before applying for admission into tertiary institutions"
“This controversial policy belongs in the Stone Ages and should be roundly condemned by everyone who believes in intellectual freedom and accessibility.”
The irony here is that should the federal government play any role in education, it is to set up mechanisms that will identify and grant scholarships to gifted students not minding their ages before applying for admission into tertiary institutions.
“This controversial policy belongs in the Stone Ages and should be roundly condemned by everyone who believes in intellectual freedom and accessibility.”
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