The 2023 PDP Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Get together, Atiku Abubakar, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s Federal Authorities for the 18-year age restrict on NECO and WAEC exams, calling it absurd and a barrier to scholarships.
Recall that the Federal Authorities has banned people under 18 from taking part within the NECO and WAEC exams.
This was revealed by the Minister of Training, Prof. Tahir Mamman, throughout his look on Channels Tv’s ‘ Sunday Politics’ program.
Mamman acknowledged that the federal authorities has instructed WAEC, liable for the West African Senior Faculty Certificates Examination, and NECO, which administers the Senior Faculty Certificates Examination, to implement the 18-year age requirement for candidates taking these exams.
In response, the previous Vice President took to his verified Fb web page on Wednesday to criticize the coverage as outdated.
Atiku labelled the coverage as controversial and known as for common condemnation from those that worth mental freedom and accessibility.
He acknowledged, “Tinubu’s coverage on age restrict for tertiary schooling admission belongs within the Stone Ages.
“The current coverage of the Federal Ministry of Training pegging age limits for entry to tertiary establishments is an absurdity and a disincentive to scholarship.
“The coverage runs foul of the notion of delineation of tasks in a federal system of presidency equivalent to we’re practising, and offers a graphic impression of how the Tinubu authorities behaves like a misplaced sailor on a excessive sea.
“In any other case, how is such anti-scholarship regulation the subsequent logical step within the myriad of points besetting our instructional system?
“To be clear, the Nigerian structure places schooling within the concurrent listing of schedules, by which the sub-national authorities enjoys extra roles above the Federal Authorities.”
The previous Vice President highlighted that the best international strategy is to permit sub-national governments to determine their schooling legal guidelines or rules.
Atiku continued, “Subsequently, it’s extra-constitutional for the federal authorities to legislate on schooling like a decree.
“The most effective international customary for such regulation is to permit the sub-national governments to make respective legal guidelines or guidelines on schooling.
“It’s discouraging that even whereas asserting this obnoxious coverage, the federal government inadvertently stated it had no plan to cater to specifically gifted pupils. That assertion is a humiliation to the physique of intellectuals within the nation as a result of it portrays Nigeria as a rustic the place gifted college students aren’t appreciated.
“The irony right here is that ought to the federal authorities play any position in schooling, it’s to arrange mechanisms that may determine and grant scholarships to gifted college students not minding their ages earlier than making use of for admission into tertiary establishments.
“This controversial coverage belongs within the Stone Ages and ought to be roundly condemned by everybody who believes in mental freedom and accessibility.”
