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JAMB UTME: Tinubu’s Gov’t To Adopt 18 Years As University Entry Age
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has expressed concern over the high number of underage students gaining admission into universities.
He mentioned a proposal to adjust the minimum entry age for tertiary institutions to 18 years.
Nation Post reports that Prof. Mamman made these remarks on Monday during his visit to monitor the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Abuja.
He said: “We noticed that 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. 18 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 stressed the importance of parents ensuring that their children reach a certain level of maturity before enrolling in university, in order to effectively handle their responsibilities.
While praising the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for a smooth examination process, the minister highlighted that the use of technology has played a significant role in decreasing instances of exam malpractice.
“Right from screening to those who are here, the examination process is seamless. The environment is comfortable for students. That’s how it should be, especially the use of technology in our affairs and the educational system. It makes life easy for everybody and seamless.
“The malpractice level is very low, just a 100 out of the 1.2m. It has gone down drastically and I believe that it is the use of technology that has made that happen so this is very good,” he said.
Previously, Dr Tanko Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, expressed his delight at the UTME being conducted in Saudi Arabia due to the high standards set by JAMB management. He mentioned that the examination has evolved to a level of objectivity and reliability in its results.
Sununu commended the process saying, “One of the major things I see here, which is a major characteristic of online exams, is the speed. The speed in the centre is really excellent; pages are turned when candidates need them without any delay of booting.”
He added, “The standard of the exam is commendable. I am not surprised that JAMB has to go outside Nigeria to go to other countries to conduct exams. They are in Saudi Arabia and right now the exam is also going on in Saudi Arabia. I have not heard people complaining of answers leaked, it shows that with online exams we can do a lot.”
