Re: Underaged admission: Ogbomoso/Osogbo concerned parents beg Tinubu, wife to stop Oloyede over 'deadly policy'

Re: Underaged admission: Ogbomoso/Osogbo concerned parents beg Tinubu, wife to stop Oloyede over ‘deadly policy‘

Fatai ADEWUYI

This piece is in response to some concerned parents alleging “deadly policy” by Professor Isiaq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar, as regards admissions for children below certain age bracket (underaged candidates). I think it deserves a critical and analytical examination. I may not want to consider reasons for their appeal but I am kicking against categorising the policy as “deadly” and come out with empirical reasons why maturity counts in educational pursuit. As such, the policy is justifiable and kudos should rather be given to Professor Isiaq Oloyede, that insightful and transparent, diligent JAMB registrar.

Firstly in support of the policy, university education is meant for mature minds, teenagers cannot cope with the rigours of academic pursuit. Many parents know this. And that is why you always see them hanging around the universities to give their underaged children illicit support both physically and academically. Gone are the days when mature men pursued university education devoid of their parents’ illicit support, thereby producing men and women of intellectual abilities capable of living an independent life with mature minds. Get to our universities today, you see some young children parading around as students but with secondary scholarly minds. Some find it difficult to cope with both academic and physical rigours of university life. Funnily, some are still having pampers like toddlers, you cannot believe your eyes when you see them. Agreed, some may have fast education, say by 15 years they have finished secondary school education, but let them stay at home, to learn vocational or computer skills, so they can become mature before going for university education. That is the basis of the policy some parents in their own personal interest derogatorily tagged deadly policy.

Finally, the selfish interest of parents is borne out of being too much in a hurry and egoistic. They are not patient and want to boast my child graduated at age 16! Not minding the products that such half baked and immature minds will later come to become – unproductive and nuisance to the society. So, parents let us cooperate with the registrar of JAMB, Professor Isiaq Oloyede and come to term with the policy for it is for our own good. A word is enough for the wise. God bless us all.

Alhaji Adewuyi, CEO, Atmecs, sends this piece via 08130851574