The Federal Government has defended its ban on pupils under 18 years old sitting for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), accusing parents of hurrying their children/wards.

Education Minister Tahir Mamman said this yesterday in Abuja at a briefing by government officials on the preparations for next week’s celebration of the nation’s Independence anniversary on October 1.

In July, Mamman had announced that that starting from 2025, candidates below 18 would not be allowed to sit for the SSCE.

Although the minister said the development was in line with the country’s laws, the move had created ripples across the country, prompting a backlash from several quarters.

But at the Inter-Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja, Mamman defended the policy, saying it would pay the country in the long run.

“Our laws, the Universal Basic Education Act, and the Minimum Standards Policy Act established in 1993 prescribed specific age limits and provisions for every level of education: six years in primary school, three years in junior secondary school, three years in senior secondary school, and then five to six years before primary school (in pre-primary school). A child is expected to enter school at the age of six.

“But what has been happening is that our parents have been in a hurry. They frog-jump their children, get them into school at the age of four, skip level six at primary school, and also skip level six at secondary school. So, the children finish quite too young.

“Now, what we have done is that with the type of curriculum that we have introduced, we need them to be in place as prescribed by the acts,” he said.

The minister said the ministry was only implementing already existing laws and not introducing new ones, as many were speculating.

“As for those two acts that I have mentioned, we need them to be in place (for the pupils) to learn and acquire knowledge and skills. I remember these acts are not the ones prescribed by the government. They were not enacted during this government’s time.

“This is an Act that was established in 1993. The 6-3-3-4 came into being around 1982. So, this is already a very, very old policy.

“All that the Minister of Education did is say: ‘Ok, we come back to implementing these policies so that students can remain in school and learn skills so that when they finish, they will be able to be engaged productively, even if they don’t go to college of education or universities, they will have skills that they can be employed with or be even self-employed’,” Mamman added.

The minister said the ministry was only implementing already existing laws and not introducing new ones, as many were speculating.

“As for those two acts that I have mentioned, we need them to be in place (for the pupils) to learn and acquire knowledge and skills. I remember these acts are not the ones prescribed by the government. They were not enacted during this government’s time.

“This is an Act that was established in 1993. The 6-3-3-4 came into being around 1982. So, this is already a very, very old policy.

“All that the Minister of Education did is say: ‘Ok, we come back to implementing these policies so that students can remain in school and learn skills so that when they finish, they will be able to be engaged productively, even if they don’t go to college of education or universities, they will have skills that they can be employed with or be even self-employed’,” Mamman added.

The minister said all efforts were being made to prevent the planned strike by the Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU).

The union has issues a 14-day ultimatum to the government on its plan to embark on a strike.

Mamman said a panel, led by a former Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Alhaja Yayale Ahmed, had been set up and that the ASUU leadership would be invited for discussion to attend to the union’s grievances.

He added that non-academic workers in the universities would be paid two months’ outstanding salaries, following payment approval by the Federal Government.