Emmanuel Clement
The Federal Government has announced a significant policy shift, scrapping Mathematics as a compulsory subject for Arts and Humanities students seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
This decision, announced by the Federal Ministry of Education,through its spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, explained that the decision was part of the newly revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions,aimed to remove unnecessary barriers to higher education while maintaining academic standards.
Investigator news reports that this major policy shift means that Senior Secondary School students pursuing arts-related courses will no longer need to secure a credit pass in Mathematics in their WAEC or NECO examinations before gaining admission into universities or polytechnics.
According to the new guidelines, Mathematics remains a compulsory requirement for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses, while English Language remains mandatory across all disciplines.
For Arts and Humanities students, only relevant subjects to their chosen field will now be required alongside English.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the move as a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education and create a more inclusive academic environment.
“This reform is about giving every student a fair opportunity to pursue higher education in their area of strength. It’s part of our commitment to making the education system more flexible and responsive to students’ diverse talents and interests,” Dr. Alausa said.
Investigator news gathered that the reform applies across all universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and innovation enterprise institutions nationwide, signaling what many believe is a new era of flexibility and fairness in Nigeria’s education system.