… establishes 140 as the minimum tolerance score in universities
Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education, has changed the minimum age for admission to tertiary institutions by 2024 from 18 to 16 years. This follows a backlash from stakeholders at the ongoing policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Stakeholders argued that the minimum age of 18 is too high and that the decision comes at the wrong time, considering that candidates under 18 have already taken the exams.
Read also: Stakeholders protest as Education Minister sets 2024 admission age at 18
Stakeholders, including vice-chancellors and rectors, also opposed the enforcement of the age, saying the decision will force students under 18 to stay at home for two to three more years as they were not informed of their ineligibility earlier.
In response, Mamman said the points raised were valid and therefore the minimum age would be lowered from 18 to 16.
However, he said this is only for 2024 admissions and thereafter 18 will be the minimum age.
Following recommendations from stakeholders, JAMB sets a minimum tolerance score for admissions into universities of 140 and a minimum score for polytechnics and colleges of education of 100.
JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede said the scores are a minimum tolerance and not cut-off marks to avoid misunderstandings among candidates.
Mom’s insistence
Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education, has reinstated the Ministry’s position of banning candidates under the age of 18 from seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Mamman had insisted on this at the political meeting.
“JAMB is hereby notified that there is now a ban on underage students, those below the age of 18 years, in our tertiary institutions effective from the 2024 admissions,” he said.
The minister also revealed that the federal government was considering adopting 18 years as the age of entry to universities and other higher education institutions in the country.
The Education Minister had said in April that the federal government would consider adopting 18 as the minimum age for entry into tertiary institutions in the country.
The Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tetfund also said on April 23 that it would support the federal government’s decision to adopt 18 as the age limit for enrolment in tertiary institutions.
According to FRCN’s report, “Muntari Dandutse, the chairman of the committee, made this known when he led other members and the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Education to oversee the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, in Abuja.”
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Dandutse explained that having a minimum age limit for university education was necessary to maintain standards and ensure that students were prepared for the task ahead.
He praised the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for the smooth conduct of the examination so far and expressed the government’s commitment to improving the education system.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tetfund advised candidates to focus and avoid any malpractice during the examination.
Sunday Karimi, a member of the committee representing Kogi West, said the Senate would support any policy aimed at improving the education sector.
“The law is there, but if that means reviewing it and amending it and making sure we have a robust law, we will do that,” Karimi said.
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