Principal urges FG to end under age admission into secondary school
Bukola Olamona
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The Principal of Pacific Academy Akure, Ondo state, Mr. Joshua Sebiolatan has called on the federal government to put in place policy that would checkmate the increasing admission of pre-mature children into secondary schools in the country.
He said that the admission of children below age ten is affecting learning, adding that most of the children found it difficult to cope as a result of their level of maturity.
Sebiolatan who stated this during the valedictory service and prize-giving ceremony of the school said parents must not always be in hurry to enroll their wards in secondary schools without attaining the maturity age.
He said , ” I think the greatest challenge we are facing is this issue of pre mature students coming to secondary school, bringing children ranging from age 8 and 9. At this level,most of them don’t know how to take care of their things not to talk about learning.
You can imagine the efforts it will take us to put them where they should be because of age , that is the greatest challenge.
Lack of maturity on the part of students coming into secondary schools.There is no policy from government that say you can’t go to secondary school unless you are ten years old.
” We continue to advocate because there is no policy from government that says a particular age,unlike in the United Kingdom where you cannot go to the secondary school until 12 years, here everybody does what they likes.
“ We are encouraging the government because those of us in the private body cannot do that. Whatever policy that is place down, we will abide. We want government to act in this regard.”
He blamed government for the proliferation of private schools in the country, noting that most of the licensed schools are substandard.
“We are concerned but most of these schools are not operating illegally . They are operating in the society and the regulatory body which is ministry of education is there. Who is to be blamed ? I think you use your imagination to know what i am talking about,” he said.
