Lady Chased Out of WASSCE Examination Hall for Being Overaged
A middle-aged woman was reportedly sent out of a West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) hall earlier this week after officials claimed she was overaged and not qualified to participate in the examination.
The incident occurred at an examination center in Nigeria and has since sparked widespread criticism and debate about examination eligibility, adult education, and access to lifelong learning.
According to eyewitnesses, the woman arrived at the venue fully prepared to sit for her papers. However, she was approached by examination officials who raised concerns about her age. Despite presenting her registration details and pleading her case, she was allegedly removed from the premises and barred from participating in the exam.
“She looked determined and focused,” said a student at the center who witnessed the scene. “Everyone was surprised when the officials told her she couldn’t write the exam because she was too old. It was a heartbreaking moment.”
Though the identity of the woman has not been disclosed, sources say she enrolled for the examination in an effort to improve her educational qualifications and expand her career prospects.
The incident quickly gained traction on social media, with many Nigerians condemning the action and calling it discriminatory. One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote: “This woman’s only ‘crime’ was wanting to be educated. We should be celebrating her determination, not shaming it.”
Read also:
WAEC (West African Examinations Council) is known to maintain a minimum age requirement of 18 years for candidates writing the WASSCE. However, there is no publicly known maximum age limit in its official policies. This has raised further questions about the legitimacy of the decision to eject the woman based solely on her age.
Education stakeholders have also weighed in on the controversy. An official within the Ministry of Education, who spoke on condition of anonymity, criticized the action as a violation of the right to education.
“There is no official upper age limit to sit for WASSCE,” the source said. “If the goal is to promote literacy and self-improvement among citizens, then no one should be excluded from educational opportunities because of age.”
Advocacy groups and human rights organizations have called on WAEC and the Federal Ministry of Education to clarify their examination eligibility criteria and to take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
As of press time, WAEC has not released an official statement regarding the matter.
The incident has reignited conversations about inclusivity in education and the importance of creating systems that support lifelong learning. Critics argue that such cases highlight deep-rooted barriers faced by adult learners in Nigeria and call for urgent reforms to remove these obstacles.
“This is not just about one woman,” said education advocate Bisi Adetunji. “It’s about the thousands of adults who dream of returning to school but are discouraged by outdated policies and social stigma. Education should be a right, not a privilege tied to age.”
