Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, has said the parliament would soon come up with a law that would peg secondary school leaving age at 18.

A statement signed by the lawmaker, copy of which was obtained by our Correspondent on Thursday, said Owoeye disclosed this in his goodwill message to the Osun Youth Agenda High-Level Stakeholder’s Policy Dialogue, held in Osogbo.

It was organised by the Kimpact Development Initiative, with the support of the United Agency for International Development, National Democratic Institute, and the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development.

Owoeye accused many parents of “rushing” their wards through secondary school education, adding that entering higher institution below 18 years of age could make even children from the best home to be vulnerable to negative peer influences.

He further stressed that the current trend of underage high school leavers without any vocational skill had, in part, contributed to high rate of unemployment in the country.

When passed, Owoeye said, the law would checkmate the growing trend of underage secondary school leavers in Osun State.

He explained that in some other countries where such practice is common, there are legal measures in place to ensure that early high school leavers are productively engaged over a period of time before they are permitted to further their studies.

He added that in such countries, young school leavers are also denied the right to drive and some other social rights basically because they have not attained age of 18.

The lawmaker said, “When we eventually make the law, Osun will not only be the first state to enact such law in the country, we will also collaborate with other Houses of Assembly to ensure that the law is also passed in their respective states.

“We will work with the National Assembly to ensure that the law is nationally adopted.”

akinade28:
What will this achieve oo! Is this the next thing to tackle amidst all the problems battling with education in osun state?. Why delay brilliant young ones unnecessarily?.
Are there not adults influenced by peer pressure?.
Misplaced priorities
It still very embrassing to me that this man that was caught doing blood rituals openly in Ilesha became the speaker of the house just because he has political godfathers.
Anyway this is Nigeria, anything goes

He further stressed that the current trend of underage high school leavers without any vocational skill had, in part, contributed to high rate of unemployment in the country.

“We will work with the National Assembly to ensure that the law is nationally adopted.”

juvewalex:
It's a stupid policy to me , why do you have to delay secondary graduates till 18yrs of age with your wack education while your own wards school abroad to graduate at 16yrs .

They are not even ready to provide quality education to students rather some no brainer policy.

Tumbulum:
And then when Gtb,DSS and nnpc advertise for job,they peg the age at 28.

baby124:
Good idea. Parents rush their kids too much. Even the dumb ones are writing common entrance in primary 4 and they are passing because their parents are cheating for them. University is for adults. If they leave secondary school at 18, they will graduate at 22. So, it’s very ok. If they peg secondary school entrance at 12 and primary school entrance at 6, all the rubbish rush rush will end. If your child is truly a genius, there is a school for the gifted. Apply there. Even in America kids cannot enter KG before 5 or almost 6. They mostly finish secondary school at 18!

A child that graduates secondary school at 18 is mature enough to acquire a skill or go to university and excel. There will be less incidence of cultism and all these useless sleeping around for grades because of pressure and immaturity.

Blue3k:


Everything you mentioned just sounds like common degeneracy. These scenarios dont happen unless the school isnt vigilante. How do you cheat in exam hall if mommy and daddy doing homework. Why would anyone be desperate enough to sleep with professor for grade. Just retake the course next semester.

In America you can also skip grades if you're smart enough and early college courses offered.

Charleys:


They are no brilliant young ones everyone is dumb in Nigeria.

baby124:

Only very few attend special classes for the brilliant. They still go through the same school process that their mates go through. Except you are home schooled. You don’t just skip class like that. By the way, Nigeria has school for the gifted if your ward is really that intelligent. Going to school at a mature age reduces instances of truancy, criminality and degenerate behavior.

Blue3k:


The point is the options are available the government is stopping anyone from advancing or setting arbitrary cap. Few people are exceptional or even attempt to skip grades. Plenty of people take dual credit and AP classes. Its was actually pretty popular in my school district.

The parents should decide this not the state. Most college students aren't involved in criminality. Truancy isn't anyone's problem but student and who ever pays tuition. Degeneracy like having sex for grades is common amongst 18+ students. We can use nairaland stories as reference. I doubt professor are trying to go to jail for underage sex.

Funny enough all those same things can happen in highschool. All your doing is changing venue.

baby124:

In Nigeria there is no cap as to when they start school. Every parent takes their child out of secondary school at primary 4 or 5. When they are supposed to finish the whole school process. Are you trying to tell me that all these children are exceptional? How many of them will qualify for those special AP classes? Why not leave children to go through the normal process and just be kids? Most Nigerian parents don’t want to pay the fees and they want to rush the kids into secondary school aka boarding house so they can have some freedom. It is only in Primary school I have seen that we skip grades in Nigeria and not Secondary school. By the way, parents also make their kids start writing WAEC in SS1 and JAMB too. I think an additional law should be passed that only SS3 students can write WAEC and subsequently JAMB.

Like you said skipping of classes is rare and there are more special classes for these kids at their level. We have those special classes in Nigeria, like further maths and other courses. But the principals do not even understand why those classes are in the curriculum and anyone that likes can attempt it or sit for it in WAEC.

If you go through your post carefully you are supporting the law makers assertions when it comes to progress through school. I did not say age eliminated truancy, degeneracy and criminal or sexual behavior. I said it greatly reduces it which is true. You don’t see these issues in countries where admission into several educational stages is capped at a certain age because most students are mature enough to handle educational issues and social issues at each stage.

Trust that they have done extensive research on the brains ability to cope at these levels before capping those ages for admission. Especially in the foreign countries.

Blue3k:


There should be policy to test if the students are at grades level if they're skipping grades. If they pass test they are by Nigerian standards. If you want to argue those test are flawed ok. The state should instead make sure students are actually qualified to skip grades instead of holding them back.

AP and Dual credit classes dont have special qualifications to enroll. You just sign up for them at beginning of the year. That's up to parents to decide whether to be kids. The kid can also say no to certain classes. If all else fails just fail test on purpose.

The point is they hsve option to try to skip classes. If the parents or student feel the csn handle load it what ever. If they can get ahead early all the better for them.

I still take exception to point about degeneracy and criminality. I doubt their much of a difference between the rates. Since truancy isnt looked into college I have no opinion.

I dont trust they did extensive research. Why is the stydy he's citing? He claimed erroneously unemployment is caused by students entering in work force.

baby124:

The AP classes I know are special classes for students who are advanced, to get university credit. They don’t necessarily skip grades. The AP classes help for college admission into great schools. You need to do some research for yourself of why those ages are capped for Kindergarten and even high school. Or you think these countries just assign random ages without research on a child’s readiness? School is not only about educational ability but also social ability. Can they really cope and act in a way that is not anti-social? Truancy is an issue a big one for Universities abroad. They do take attendance. So yes, age matters and greatly reduces the negative effects of peer pressure. I think I have addressed all your questions here. I won’t be arguing further.

Blue3k:


When you get college credit by AP course you dont have to take that class at that school depending on score. Schools are capped for highschool hence why you can register and graduate if you meet criteria. Im not interested in kindergarten besides we're discussing laws regarding highschool graduation.

Yes they can cope and not act anti social. Join a club and make friends at school. Its the same thing just different environment. No college only take attendance for tuition purpose or if they grade on it. You coming or going is your problem. Its the law in grade school.

Most of your examples of peer pressure dont change or have difference outside of college environments.

baby124:
Good idea. Parents rush their kids too much. Even the dumb ones are writing common entrance in primary 4 and they are passing because their parents are cheating for them. University is for adults. If they leave secondary school at 18, they will graduate at 22. So, it’s very ok. If they peg secondary school entrance at 12 and primary school entrance at 6, all the rubbish rush rush will end. If your child is truly a genius, there is a school for the gifted. Apply there. Even in America kids cannot enter KG before 5 or almost 6. They mostly finish secondary school at 18!

A child that graduates secondary school at 18 is mature enough to acquire a skill or go to university and excel. There will be less incidence of cultism and all these useless sleeping around for grades because of pressure and immaturity.

Hayelomo:


This is funny. They should peg secondary school entrance at 12 when you don't even need to be a genius to clear your common entrance at 10. And don't you think keeping them in secondary school till age 18 as your comparison with "America" goes will only increase degeneracy in the secondary school? The level of degeneration in the higher institution will find its way into the younger ones through these mature old ones. The policy is not in anyway sensible to me. It's a backward thinking policy. The government can however introduce vocational education into secondary school but they don't need to peg age for anybody.

baby124:

I don’t know what college you are talking about but they take attendance as part of your grade. You cannot just be coming and going anyhow. At least not when I went to school.

AP Credit is for university courses and has nothing to do with when the students graduate. They still graduate with their peers. AP helps them attend better schools as proof of their intelligence couples with SAT scores. They also concurrently do not have to take those courses in University. In fact it’s quite rare to see a high school student graduate at 17 not to talk of 14 in Nigeria. I know that system very well, so talk another thing abeg.

Kindergarten is important because that is the foundation. It is setup that when you enter kindergarten at 5 or 6, you are not expected to leave secondary school before 18 or attend University before 18.

baby124:

Most of the ones that clear common entrance at 10 get help from cheating. Growing up it was not a small feat to clear common entrance but now it’s like water. If all exams were treated like JAMB then you will see mass failure. If kids enter primary school at 6 and cannot write common entrance except in Primary 6 they will enter secondary school at 12. Go through the process and graduate from secondary school at 18. How will that encourage degeneracy and truancy if they are going through the process as they should?

Hayelomo:
Moreover, I think Jamb pegged age to 16,how reasonable then is it for them to peg secondary school leavers at 18? Can we have some coherence in our educational system in this country?