The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has criticized the federal government’s new age policy for secondary school leaving examinations.
Recall that the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced on Monday that students below 18 years old would not be allowed to write the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSE) and the National Examination Council (NECO) exams.
However, NUT argued that this policy is outdated, considering economic realities force parents to send their children to school early, exposing them to early learning.
The Secretary-General of NUT, Dr. Mike Ene stated that the policy can only work if implemented from the primary school level, citing the need to address early enrollment due to economic pressures.
Ene explained that parents enroll children in crèches early due to economic pressures, and teachers begin educating them, allowing them to learn quickly, making it impossible to stop their learning.
Ene noted that exceptional students would be affected by the policy, citing 16-year-old SS3 students who would have to wait two more years, leading to potential legal challenges.
Ene concluded that the policy is poorly conceived and needs to be rethought, considering the scenarios of exceptional students and the potential consequences.
