Education
We will go to court Parents speaks over FG age for writing WASSCE at 18 years
In a bold move against the government’s new education policy, the Deputy National President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, has vowed to take legal action. Speaking with Vanguard, Ogunbanjo did not mince words, declaring the association’s readiness to challenge the policy in court if the government fails to reconsider its stance by early next year.
“We’ve already consulted with lawyers, and they’ve advised us to be patient until 2025 rolls in,” Ogunbanjo revealed. “By March, just before WAEC and other bodies begin their Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), we will sue the government if they refuse to drop this policy. The minister’s decision threatens to drag our education sector backwards, and we cannot allow that to happen.”
Ogunbanjo criticized the policy as a direct attack on the nation’s educational progress, claiming it undermines parents’ aspirations for their children. “They simply want to kill knowledge and stifle education in the country. Parents dream of seeing their wards educated, but this policy could shatter those dreams. It’s a recipe for disaster in the education sector. Let them stick to the 16-year benchmark, which has worked perfectly.”
“The world is evolving, and so must we,” he continued passionately. “What do they expect from students who finish secondary school before 18? This policy is outdated and completely out of touch with the current realities. It’s high time the government recognized that education should empower, not restrict.”