The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, probably didn’t know what he was getting into when he directed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) not to register students who are less than 18 years old for the next round of secondary school exit examinations.

Contrary to the overriding insinuations that he was introducing a strange criterion for sitting for the mandatory examinations and entry into tertiary institutions, the man was only attempting to resuscitate an extant, albeit largely overlooked or forgotten, law.

The bashing Prof. Mamman has received in his attempt to reposition a sector in dire need of innovations and real advancement is, perhaps, self-inflicted and avoidable. It appears that not much, if any at all, consultation was done before going public with the directive which has now been suspended till next year. Again, even the appropriateness of this shift, especially in terms time and readiness for implementation, is debatable and is already being challenged in informed and uninformed quarters. The education helmsman shouldn’t lose sight of the sensitivity of the position he occupies. That ministry didn’t particularly enjoy any remarkable glory and progress under his predecessor, Malam Adamu Adamu, accountant and the country’s longest holder of the portfolio.

Mamman must have learnt that there’s often a divide between the pursuit of issues that may have legal backing and soft variables like people’s comprehension, perceptions and feelings. It is, therefore, not surprising that there’re arguments against the minister’s move which, typical of the Nigerian public discourse, range from the logical to the silly and absurd. Making exceptions for exceptionally gifted children in setting age benchmarks in this discussion, for instance, can’t seriously be faulted. But going to the extent of casting aspersions on Mamman’s geographical background smacks of ignorance, arrogance, condescension and prejudice of the worst kinds. One commentator even went to the ridiculous extent of suggesting that education should be placed under the care of southerners who value it instead of northerners who do not. Yes, the contestation has gone that low, sadly. It mustn’t degenerate further, however.

One truth about the 18-year age limit for being admitted for higher learning is that it does have benefits and justifications making it strong enough to adopt and perpetuate in many nations with respected and enduring educational systems. In the United States, most European countries and elsewhere, fresh intakes by universities are expected to have clocked 18 or 19 years. In those places, experiments were carried out which showed that the developmental psychology of children, adolescents, young adults and adults had a direct relationship with the ability to absorb what is taught and relate with external factors. In general terms, pupils and students within certain age brackets are expected to possess mental and emotional strengths that are utilised within the groups and identifiable by the larger society.

“All things being equal” is a common phrase in the social sciences, especially. The main basis for the expression is that most fields under this family of knowledge deal with human behaviour which can’t be classified along strict lines because of its diversity and unpredictability. Yet, for researches to be thorough and meaningful and then attain credibility and worth, conclusions must be reached. The closures that stand the test of time are the ones relied upon to advance the cause(s) of humanity. That doesn’t in any way make all conclusions sacrosanct, though. The very idea of change and the dynamism of the human experience demand a reasonable amount of flexibility in every area of development.

It makes sense to give credit to the framers of the nation’s educational direction in the 1980s which produced the 6-3-3-4 schooling format. The success or otherwise of the plan which has continued to be debated on various platforms is a different subject. With skill acquisition as a prime rationale for the scheme, it was designed with the ages of school goers in mind – age five to enter pre-primary school, age six to start a six-year primary school and then another six years to be split between junior and senior secondary schools. At 18 years, students were deemed ripe to pursue their education at the post-secondary level. In all, cognitive preparedness which was tied to age considerations was paramount. A minister of education in that era and an impactful and foremost Nigerian educationist, Prof. Babatunde Fafunwa, staunchly defended what Mamman is being crucified for by a section of the citizenry.

Many people campaigning to damn the age clause point to the sterling, astounding intellectual capacities of some kids – an undeniable fact of life. Michael Kearney holds the Guinness World Record of the world’s youngest university graduate. He was 10 years in 1994 when he achieved the feat. Before and after then, many others, Nigerians inclusive, have proved conservatives and biological age puritans wrong. The existence of those who break through kindergarten or teenage limitations and categorisations to hit phenomenal accomplishments is, therefore, not in doubt.

But there’s more to schooling than the knowledge of subjects and courses, hence the traditional awarding of degrees, diplomas and certificates after satisfying the dual conditions of character and learning. The philosophy behind the requirement of the two sides of the coin is grounded in the fact that the mastery of different disciplines is as vital as being able to get along in and contribute to any society.

Unless children are confirmed to be unusually brilliant, they really shouldn’t be rushed through the stages. And only established mechanisms should determine who these individuals are, not the whims and ambitions of parents. Educating a child goes beyond the walls of conventional schools, after all, something that ought to gain the attention of relevant stakeholders. Nigeria’s first female professor of psychiatry, Olayinka Omigbodun, put this truth succinctly: “Apart from academics, there are many other areas that help a child to develop and mature and to be more intelligent, like music. Learning how to play the piano not only helps overall maturity but also encourages discipline, and stimulates the brain, thereby encouraging brain health, which is so essential for the journey of life….

“Learning to sing and play the drums, learning to draw and paint, sports and games, reading story books, and not just academic books, all encourage brain health, help to develop academic, emotional, social intelligence which are all important and not just academic performance…. Studies reveal that there is a direct relationship in performance at university level and the number of story books that a child reads, particularly in early childhood.” A clear need to broaden our understanding and application of education.

American clinical psychologist, Elaine Aaron, also once identified the elements required for optimal corporate functionality as “people who think carefully, feel deeply, notice the subtle details, and end up having the big picture.” Referring to this hypothesis, the Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, and a prominent antagonist of the age restriction policy, Aare Afe Babalola, declared that “these four qualities are essential to nation-building. Age is not one of them, neither is it a requirement to obtain any of them. Maturity is not a function of age. Rather, it is a function of the mindset, emotional intelligence, and the ability to understand oneself and the world.

“Maturity is earned from training the mind, not from aging. Consequently, we have many adults who are all but mature in the way they think, act, or relate with others and the world they live in. Conversely, we have children who have defied all odds and achieved even the seemingly impossible.” The 94 years old SAN, super achiever and icon is well-positioned to render this principled, empirical counsel.

Ekpe, PhD, is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board.