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Nigerian Government has been charged not to retrogress opportunities of young talented Nigerians through obnoxious educational policy meant to distort their acquisition of formal education.
Recall that Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman last week, announced a policy intended to bar students under the age of 18 from enrolling in higher education institutions in the country.
Recall again that the 18-year benchmark for admission into tertiary institutions is not new in Nigeria as the Nigeria’s Education Minister, Professor Tahir Mamman, was booed on July 18, 2024, when he wanted 18 years age benchmark implementation to begin in 2023/24 academic year.
Reacting to the policy on Sunday, a Methodist Bishop, Bishop Dr. Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, said such policy if allowed to fly, will retard the academic development of the younger generation, arguing that such should not arise in the 21st century.
The Methodist Bishop, advised the Federal Government to allow children develop in tandem with their talents, instead of emphasizing on the 18 years benchmark, wondering what will happen to students who will not be about 18 years by April 2025 when WAEC will commence.
Bishop Onuoha said, “My worry is what happens to students who will not be about 18 years by April 2025 when WAEC will commence? Is the policy not going to completely prevent them from going to the University? Will there also be adequate provision for them to take care of their plights?
The 2013 Global Peace Award Winner, maintained that in as much as the Federal Government is desirous of bringing reforms in the educational sector, it should be designed properly to avoid truncating and distorting the academic progression of young children who are highly talented and can learn vocational skills while acquiring formal education.
Bishop Onuoha admonished the Federal Government to focus more on salvaging the country’s poor educational system which has been rocked by examination malpractices, improve the poor working conditions of teachers and lecturers vis-à-vis their remuneration, among other challenges.
He also charged the federal government to encourage the girl child and boy child education, tackle issues of Out-of-School children which has become a threat to Nigeria’s existence as these out of school children roam the streets of Nigeria just as he enjoined the federal government to tackle Infrastructural decay in the country’s tertiary institutions.
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