By Emmanuel Kwada
A recent policy introduced by the Federal Ministry of Education, which sets age limits for admission to tertiary institutions, has been widely criticized as “absurd” and “anti-scholarship”. The policy has been described as a disincentive to scholarship and a violation of the principles of federalism.
According to Atiku Abubakar, a vocal critic of the policy, the federal government has overstepped its bounds by legislating on education, a matter that falls under the concurrent list of schedules in the Nigerian constitution. Abubakar argued that the sub-national governments should be allowed to make their own laws and rules on education, as is the global standard.
The federal government has overstepped its bounds by legislating on education, a matter that falls under the concurrent list of schedules in the Nigerian constitution
The policy has also been criticized for failing to cater to specially gifted pupils, with the government admitting that it has no plans to support such students. This has been described as an embarrassment to the intellectual community in Nigeria and a failure to appreciate gifted students.
Abubakar has called on Nigerians to condemn the policy, which he believes belongs in the “Stone Ages”. He argued that the federal government should instead focus on identifying and supporting gifted students, regardless of their age, and providing them with scholarships to pursue their education.
The policy has sparked widespread outrage and debate, with many calling for its reversal. As the controversy continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the Tinubu government’s approach to education has been widely panned as a step in the wrong direction.
