Atiku Knocks FG Over Policy Limiting Under 18s From Writing WAEC, NECO

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has criticized the Federal Government’s education policy which pegged age limits for writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to 18 years.

New Telegraph had earlier reported that the Federal Government through the Ministry of Education announced that candidates must be 18 years old before they are allowed to write West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council  (NECO).

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman said that the WAEC and NECO has been instructed not to allow underage children to write their examinations.

Reacting to the sudden development, Atiku, presidential candiadte of the People’s Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on his X handle said the policy belongs to the Stone ages, saying the policy is an absurdity and a disincentive to scholarship.

According to him, it is embarrassing that the FG said it had no plan to cater for specially gifted pupils.

“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.”