UTME: NAPTAN Speaks On Underage Restriction

The Parent- Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) has commended the Federal Government for giving clarification on its ban of underage students from gaining admission into tertiary education institutions.

The Deputy Chairman of NAPTAN, Mr Adeolu Ogunbanjo, made the commendation in an interview with newsmen in Lagos on Sunday.

Ogunbanjo said that the clarification had given a clear picture of the policy and would erase misconceptions.

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It was gathered that the Federal Ministry of Education on Friday clarified that the government did not stop students below 18 years from sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and National Examinations Council (NECO)-conducted examinations.

The ministry said that the government only stopped underage students from seeking or gaining admission into tertiary education institutions.

Ogunbanjo said that NAPTAN was glad that the government had cleared the air on the issue which, he said, had caused panic.

“With this latest development from the government, people now have better understanding that students under the age of 18 can go ahead to write WASSCE and NECO,” he said.

Ogunbanjo also appealed to the Federal Government to reduce tertiary education institutions minimum entry age to 16 years.

He said that gifted students should be allowed to move faster academically.

“The world is changing; therefore, we beg the government to leave the university entry age at 16 years so that exceptional ones can move,” Ogunbanjo said.

The Minister of Education, Mr Tahir Mamman, had, during the 2024 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board in Abuja, directed the board to implement a minimum tertiary education institution entry requirement age of 18 years.