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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Federal Government has announced a major change in the country’s education policy, removing Mathematics as a compulsory subject for students seeking admission into tertiary institutions under the Arts and Humanities.
The new directive, issued on Tuesday by the Federal Ministry of Education, means that candidates applying to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Institutions in these disciplines will no longer need a credit pass in Mathematics in their Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by WAEC or NECO.
Previously, all admission seekers were required to obtain at least five credit passes, including English Language and Mathematics, before being considered for admission into any tertiary institution.
In a statement signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, the revised framework provides institution-specific requirements to reflect the unique needs of different disciplines. For universities, candidates are now required to have a minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings. Mathematics, however, remains mandatory only for Science, Technology, and Social Science programmes.
For non-science courses in polytechnics, four credit passes, including English Language, are now sufficient for admission at the National Diploma (ND) level, while Mathematics remains a requirement for science-related courses. At the Higher National Diploma (HND) level, five credit passes, including English Language and Mathematics, will still be required.
At the Colleges of Education level, a minimum of four credit passes in relevant subjects will be needed for admission, with English Language mandatory for Arts and Social Science courses, while Mathematics will remain compulsory for Science, Vocational, and Technical programmes.
Education analyst, Ayodamola Oluwatoyin while speaking to journalists said the new policy, describing it as a welcome development that will make tertiary education more accessible to a wider range of students.
“This is a brilliant reform which we hope will open the doors and improve the ease of admission into tertiary institutions for more candidates,” she said.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, explained that the decision was part of the government’s deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education and ensure that admission criteria align with the specific needs of each discipline.
“The decision is aimed at widening access to tertiary education and ensuring that admission criteria reflect the specific requirements of various disciplines,” he stated.