FG Moving To Stop Under 18s From Gaining Admission To Varsities, Says They’re Causing Problems

In a shocking development, the Federal Government is currently considering barring applicants below the age of 18 from applying to gain admission into the universities and other tertiary institutions of learning.

Unveiling the Federal Government’s plan, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman said underage students were responsible for some of the problems being encountered in higher institutions.

Mamman gave the hint while monitoring the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in Abuja on Monday.

The minister, however, cautioned parents against pushing their children and wards “too much,” to allow them to attain some level of maturity to be able to better manage their affairs.

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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 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 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, who commended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for a seamless examination process, noted that the adoption of technology had helped in reducing the cases of examination practices.