“One thing with policy is that if it’s not realistic, it can lead to distorted information. The decision of whether a student should be 18 or younger to sit for exams should depend on the student’s abilities. Some students are exceptionally gifted and don’t need to spend all those years in school if they demonstrate a high level of intelligence.”
— National President, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Mr Shammah Kpanja, The Punch, August 28, 2024
Clausewitz defines policy as “the guiding intelligence of modern statecraft,” while most other strategic thinkers regard it as the “grand concept” of any serious human enterprise. Whichever way one looks at it, policy must be realistic, as reflected in the quote above, and it must be to solve societal problems. Policy formulation is a serious business, and it’s even more so for all policymakers, particularly those operating within the broad spectrum of national security.
“Policy formulation is a serious business, and it’s even more so for all policymakers, particularly those operating within the broad spectrum of national security.”
An Emeritus Professor of Psychology once posed an intriguing question to me: “What does the age of Methuselah have to do with the wisdom of King Solomon?’” According to the Professor, King Solomon was renowned as the richest and wisest man in history, while Methuselah is recorded in scripture as the oldest man ever. The Prof thereafter raised an interesting point: there is no definitive evidence that age is the sole determinant of wisdom. In fact, wisdom can be found in people of middle age and even in the young.
Statement of the problem
“In recent days, it seems that the Minister of Education, Prof Mamman, is on the verge of accelerating the decline of the nation’s education system. The esteemed professor of law and distinguished academic has introduced a policy stating that students who have spent less than 12 years in pre-tertiary education will not be permitted to take the Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE). This policy has sparked significant controversy among parents and public intellectuals.”
Read also: Contradiction: Nigeria’s 16-year-olds face age limits on exams but not marriage, elections
Immediately after the policy was issued, I asked why this policy at a time when the education system has a lot of challenges. After careful consideration, I thought that maybe the directive would do the following: Reduce the stress on the limited available higher institutions; reduce the number of children below the age of 18 seeking admission yearly into tertiary schools; reduce the batches for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme; and reduce the amount of money the nation spends annually to implement the programme. Additionally, perhaps the policy would help tertiary schools cope with a reduced workforce and, technically, reduce the sharp practices of some private institutions. The list is endless.
Is age a function of human capital?
We are in the “age of human capital,” but age is not a function of human capital. There are research papers showing that delayed enrolment in either primary or tertiary schools appears to contradict the human capital theory of Adam Smith. The human capital theory first put forth by the renowned economist contends that each worker possesses a set of abilities and skills that can be enhanced or increased through training and education. Would it not be cost-effective to send a child to school as early as possible when the value of the child’s time is lowest? Understanding delayed enrolment can shed more light on barriers to education faced by families in a lower middle-income country such as Nigeria.
Economy of education
But why would any parent keep a brilliant child in the house doing nothing for about two to three years in an economy where the inflation is double digit and the cost of living is rising? Market volatility and inflation pose serious challenges to investment in children’s education. Inflation is a huge problem, although it’s not always visible in matters concerning children’s education. A sudden downturn in the equity market, such as the COVID-19-induced crash of March 2020, can make a big dent in parents’ plans to send their children to school. So, why delay any child from going ahead with his or her education?
In the past few years, education costs have been rising globally. In fact, unconfirmed reports have it that after healthcare, education is the fastest-growing cost in the average household budget. That is why parents who have not taken inflation into account may end up falling short of the targeted amount required to send their children to school.
The way the economy is today with about a 30 percent interest rate, education loans will require more funding to cater for the school fees of a child. No wonder some analysts argue against and try to undermine investment in early childhood education, emphasising its cost and potential returns. Research shows that the long-term benefits of early childhood education far outweigh the initial investment cost of educating a child. Improving access to quality education for families can help break the cycle of poverty and improve the skills and knowledge of children and ultimately adults, which increase economic growth and productivity.
A 2023 Report of the UNICEF on Sustainable Education also highlights that “deprivation in early childhood can impact the functioning of the body and brain later in life, which contributes to reduced learning ability, early school dropouts, negative interpersonal relationships, and reduced learning capacity.” So, why do we want to delay children from continuing with their education?
Millions of out-of-school children are still on the waiting line for the government to attend to their needs. UNICEF, in one of its reports, says that one in three children in Nigeria is out of school, totalling 10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary school level. It’s said that one in every five out-of-school children in the world resides in Nigeria. Why should the government add dropouts to those children already out there on the streets through the ministerial directive?
“It is recommended that the government prioritise addressing critical issues such as equipping schools with functional resources, tackling infrastructure deficits, and enhancing teachers’ welfare, rather than imposing age restrictions on exams.”
“What we need is for the government to ensure that basic schools are equipped with functional facilities. In some rural and urban areas, you’ll find children sitting on the ground in schools, with many buildings lacking roofs. These are the real issues that need to be addressed. The welfare of teachers and the availability of functional libraries in most public secondary schools are also lacking. These should be the government’s targets—addressing infrastructure deficits instead of focussing on mundane matters like the age of students.”
It may be expedient to revive technical colleges for secondary school leavers to mandatorily attend for 2 years before going into the universities and polytechnics. This will afford them the opportunity for proper skill acquisition, monetisation of their acquired skills and abilities for financial independence, and most importantly, adding value to the larger society economically, socially, and morally.
Drawing inspiration from Elaine Aron, an American psychologist and author, what Nigeria needs to be a viable and stable country are people “who think carefully, feel deeply, notice the subtle details, and end up having the big picture.” In my view, these are the four qualities essential to nation-building. Age is not one of them, nor is it a prerequisite for acquiring any of them. Thank you
MA Johnson, Rear Admiral (Rtd)
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