JAMB age limit policy unconstitutional, must be suspended — Concerned parents

….Stage protest in Lagos office

By Olasunkanmi Akoni and David Aghaeze

A pressure group under the umbrella of The Movement Against JAMB Injustice, comprising concerned parents, has described the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB’s age limit policy in Nigeria as unconstitutional and should be discarded forthwith.

The group therefore, urged the Federal Government to review the age limit discriminatory policy and allow candidates who will be 16 years old before the end of the 2025/2026 academic session to seek admission into any institution in Nigeria.

Leading the group on a protest march to JAMB office in Lagos yesterday, amid heavy rainfall, Mr Olusegun Steven, also called on JAMB and the Ministry of Education to consider extending the date to December for the sake of equity and fairness.

The placard carrying group, described the JAMB’s policy of setting a cutoff mark of 320 for students below 16 years old by September 30th as “arbitrary, unfair, and a breach of children’s rights to education.

According to the group: “We are shocked and disappointed that despite a court ruling against age discrimination, Prof Ishaq Oloyede and the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, are still enforcing this policy.

“This policy is not only unfair but also discriminatory, and we will not stand idly by while our children’s rights are being trampled upon.”

Steven cited the case of a child who scored 315 and is meant to study Architecture in a private university but was denied the opportunity to upload her results due to age.

 “Why should JAMB unilaterally choose a cutoff mark for students below 16 years old by September 30th and not December?.

“So, today we are here at the JAMB office located at Ikoyi Lagos with a peaceful protest and we won’t stop until Prof. Oloyede suspend the obnoxious, discriminatory age limit policy.”

Prof. Atiba Samuel, a member of the movement from Ekiti, noted that while the group is not against the policy of a 16-year admission age limit, it should not start at the intermediate level.

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