Oba Abdulkabir Obalanlege, Olota of Ota, Ogun State, believes that preventing under-18 students from taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will limit Nigerian children’s potential.
Obalanlege made the statement while delivering a goodwill message at Adedokun International Schools’ 15th anniversary on Monday at Iyana-Iyesi Multipurpose in Ota, Ogun.
On August 25, Prof. Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education, announced that the Federal Government would ban students under the age of 18 from taking the WASSCE and the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams.
According to Obalanlege, preventing under-18 students from taking WAEC and NECO exams will limit the children’s potential in terms of competing with their peers around the world.
“My advice to the Federal Government is to follow the international best practices rather than limiting the potential of our young ones,” he said.
According to Obalanlege, this will help to improve the country’s educational standards.
He congratulated Mr Niyi Adedokun, the founder of Adedokun International Schools, and encouraged him to set up more schools around the state for the benefit of the residents.
In his response, Adedokun thanked the Olota of Ota and gave him an award for supporting the school in overcoming the challenges encountered while creating its buildings.
He encouraged the public to invest in Ota and its vicinity, stating that Obalanlege was always willing to assist investors.
Dr Mike Fatukasi, the school’s principal, stated in his welcome address that the school had reached a critical milestone and attained excellence in education as it celebrated its 15th anniversary.
“As you are aware, this year we are placed on number 17 amongst the best 25 secondary schools in Nigeria,” Fatukasi said.
Mrs Patience Evans-Osabuohien, Chairperson of the School’s Parents-Teacher Association, Iyana Campus, also requested the Federal Government to reconsider and review the age limit decision.
Evans-Osabuohien encouraged the Federal Government not to prevent students under 18 from entering institutions.
She claimed that children could be enticed into bad gangs, increasing the country’s crime rate.
According to the News Agency, long-serving staff and individuals received awards for their contributions to the school’s progress.
NAN also reports that the school, which began operations in September 2009 with 50 students, has opened four new campuses in Sango-Ota.