The President of the Rotary Club of Ota, Adunni Kassim, has expressed support for the Federal Government’s decision to prohibit candidates under the age of 18 from sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the National Examination Council exams.
In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, Kassim advised that students should be allowed to take the crucial exam at 17, with university admission pegged at 18 years old.
She argued that the age policy would help to address some of the issues being faced by young students in Nigeria.
She said, “The challenges we see today are partly because we have very young children, sometimes as young as 10 or 12, trying to sit these exams and gain admission into higher institutions. These children are not yet mature enough to handle the responsibilities that come with university life.”
Kassim stressed the risks associated with allowing underage students to enter higher education, noting that they were often vulnerable and unable to make informed decisions on their own.
“A 12-year-old entering university is too young and at the mercy of others, which can lead to them being easily drawn into bad influences. Even if a child is academically brilliant, they need to be mature enough to handle university life. Their brains may be sharp, but their souls are tender.”