Former Labour Party (LP) chieftain and actor, Barrister Kenneth Okonkwo, has strongly opposed the federal government’s new policy that prohibits candidates under 18 years of age from sitting for secondary school leaving examinations.
This directive, announced by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, during a recent TV interview, has sparked widespread criticism.
Mamman stated that the Federal Government has instructed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to enforce an 18-year age limit for candidates to be eligible for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), respectively. Additionally, the age limit for writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) remains 18 years.
Okonkwo, reacting to this policy on Thursday, described it as “unfortunate and undesirable.” He shared a personal experience where he stayed at home for a year after completing his secondary education at 15 years old, highlighting the vices he picked up during that period. Okonkwo argued that the current educational system allows students to complete secondary education by 16 years of age, questioning the necessity of forcing them to stay at home until they turn 18.
The actor cum politician warned that such a policy could lead to idle hands and minds becoming susceptible to negative influences. “Keeping children idle for two years is making them susceptible to crimes and other antisocial behavior as an idle mind is a devil’s workshop,” he emphasized.
Okonkwo called for an immediate reversal of the policy, advocating for a return to the 16-year benchmark for entering university. He criticized the government’s decision, suggesting it reflects a broader issue of gerontocracy in the political system.
“Prof Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education’s statement that students must attain the age of 18 years before writing NECO and JAMB, is unfortunate and undesirable,” Okonkwo wrote via his X account. “Children start nursery classes at 2 years and take 3 years to complete them. This makes them start primary one at age 5 and finish at age 10. They get into secondary school at age 10 and finish at age 16 and should be allowed to get into university at age 16. I finished at age 15 because secondary education was for 5 years during our time.
“It’s unfortunate that our old men in political positions want to entrench gerontocracy in our system and are already trying to enforce it on our children. Must this government get everything wrong?” Okonkwo questioned.
