The Federal government, has banned underage children from participating in the National Common Entrance Examination, NCEE for admission into Federal Unity Colleges across the country due to the rise in underage candidates taking the examination.
The permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, David Andrew Adejo, gave the directive on Saturday, 3rd June, 2023 in Abuja while monitoring the conduct of the 2023 Common Entrance Examination into the 110 Federal Government Colleges across the federation.
“This year, I have advice for parents and I beg you, take this advice to any single home you know. we are killing our children by allowing underage children to write the Common Entrance Examination.I saw children that I know that are not up to 10 and three of them accepted that they are nine years old we are teaching the children the wrong values. Education is not about passing exams. Education is teaching, learning and character formation.
“Let our children get to an appropriate age before writing this exam and we are going to make sure NECO puts in place appropriate checks. We didn’t want to get to where we will say bring birth certificate but that is the stage we are going to now when registering, also upload the child’s birth certificate, so that at our own end, we are able to cut some of these things”, he stated.
He made the statement at the Federal Government Girls College Bwari, and Government Day Secondary School, Bwari.
Justina Egye