By Joy Mbachi
Dr Oluyomi Mbachi, a retired Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Education, has described the 18 years age limit being proposed for varsity admission as a step in the right direction.
Mbachi said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Friday, that enforcing the age limit for university admission was long overdue.
She said that Prof. Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education, had good intensions for proposing 18 years as a reasonable age limit for admission into universities.
The former director, said that the gain of upholding the proposed age limit was irresistible because students needed the psychological strength to perform optimally in learning and character.
“Age is an important factor in university education, the challenges being faced by underage students is heart-tearing.
“These students come from different homes, they can be derailed easily when faced with harsh challenges, this is because they lack the desired maturity to fight back,” she said.
Mbachi pointed out that the policy was not entirely new but only suffered effective implementation.
According to her, the whole essence is to ensure that the learner spends the required number of years in a particular level of education without parental supervision.
“For instance, pre-primary school education should start at age three and end at age five or six. Primary school education should start at age six and end at age 11 or 12.
She further said that secondary school education should start at age 11 or 12 and end at age 17 or 18.
“The mind is not mature enough to cope with the realities of the tertiary education environment.
“They can easily fall victim to cultists and sexual harassment. You need a mature mind to function well in the higher institution.
She said that if a child was consistent with the structure, leaving secondary school would tally with the prescribed age to enter the university.
“There is no wisdom in rushing children into adulthood, age is a factor in the learning process, and it helps in maturity.
“It will pay to adhere to the minister’s proposal. It holds much better benefits for us as a nation,” she said. (NAN)
