The Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman has revealed that the federal government intends to review and set the minimum entry age for tertiary institutions in the country at 18 years.
While monitoring the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Abuja, Mamman advised parents not to push their children too hard, allowing them to mature and better manage their affairs.
He stressed that some students are currently too young to fully grasp the responsibilities of university education.
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He said:
“The other thing which we notice is the age of those who have applied to go to the university. Some of them are really too young. We are going to look at it because they are too young to understand what a university education is all about.
“That’s the stage when students migrate from a controlled environment where they are in charge of their own affairs. So if they are too young, they won’t be able to manage properly. That accounts for some of the problems we are seeing in the universities.
“We are going to look at that. Eighteen is the entry age for university but you will see students, 15, and 16, going to the examination. It is not good for us. Parents should be encouraged not to push their wards, or children too much.”
The Minister further praised the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for its seamless examination process, attributing the success to the adoption of technology.
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