A Senior Lecturer at the University of Lagos, Prof. Tunde Adeoye, has urged parents to reconsider enrolling their underage children in universities, cautioning that such decisions may lead to regret.
He emphasized that while some children may be intellectually ready, their emotional and social maturity often lags behind.
Speaking in Ota, Ogun State, during an interview on Wednesday, Adeoye stressed, “There is a difference between intelligence and maturity. Most of the students on campuses now are kids and immature.”
He warned that underage students are more susceptible to negative influences, saying, “Parents should allow their children to be mature and have minds of their own before going to university, to prevent their being lured into secret cults or bad gangs.”
Adeoye criticized the trend of fast-tracking young children into higher education, particularly noting its prevalence in private universities. He highlighted that rushing education should not be seen as an achievement, stating, “Parents should stop seeing university admission for their underage children as an achievement.”
Recalling traditional educational standards, Adeoye mentioned a former practice: “In the past, before a child could be admitted into primary school, such a child should be able to touch his right ear with his left hand going over his head.”
To address this issue, he urged the Ministry of Education to standardize the primary school entry age at six years, arguing that this measure “would save the nation from many troubles.
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