By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
Safety and fairness in education is a top priority for Concerned Parents and Educators (CPE). They are asking the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, to rethink his recent decision about age limits for taking the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The minister announced that students under 17 would no longer be allowed to take the exam. However, CPE believes this could lead to hundreds of thousands of students waiting idly for two to three years, which could negatively impact their futures.
Instead of imposing age restrictions, CPE suggests enforcing a structured system that considers age from the start of a student’s academic journey.
This would create a fairer and more effective educational environment, preventing sudden changes that could affect students’ progress.
CPE urges the minister to carefully review the potential impacts of his decision and engage with stakeholders to find a more balanced solution.
They emphasized that this issue goes beyond education with significant social implications for the nation’s youth.
The group is not alone in calling for a policy review. Others, like Hassan Soweto, National Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign, have also spoken out against the age restriction.
By reconsidering his approach, the minister can help create a more supportive and inclusive educational system that benefits all students.
