Celebration by some students of arts and humanities over the Federal Government’s announcement that mathematics was no longer compulsory for admission may have been cut short as the government has made a U-turn, insisting that the subject remains mandatory for admission into tertiary institutions.
The government announced the reversal just as parents, teachers faulted the mathematics waiver, and advocated the pass grade. Last Tuesday, the Federal Government announced that Mathematics would no longer be a mandatory subject for students applying to tertiary institutions to pursue courses in the Arts and Humanities.
Particularly, the government declared that the new policy would affect admission requirements for universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Institutions nationwide.
But in a statement yesterday, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, clarified that English and Mathematics remained compulsory for all O’level students.
The statement, titled ‘English and Mathematics remain compulsory for all O’level students —FG clarifies streamlined admission requirements’, maintained that English and Mathematics remained vital tools for communication, reasoning, and lifelong learning.
It reads: “The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that all students must continue to register and sit for English Language and Mathematics in their O-Level examinations. The new policy does not exempt any candidate from these core subjects but rather introduces a more inclusive and flexible approach to tertiary admission requirements.
The statement explained that the reform supports the Federal Government’s vision of equitable access, inclusivity, and human capital development, broadening academic pathways and recognising diverse strengths among learners.
It pointed out that the adjustment affects only admission criteria, not the requirement to take these subjects, even as it urged students, parents, and stakeholders to rely solely on official communication channels for verified policy updates.
IN its reaction, the National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) opposed the move by the Federal Government through the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NAPTAN.
He spoke in an interview with newsmen yesterday, describing the idea as ‘misguided and risky’. Ogunbanjo asserted that mathematics remained vital to all disciplines, including arts and humanities, as most professions and entrepreneurial ventures required basic numeracy skills to thrive in today’s competitive economy.
He said that while students in the arts might not require an advanced grasp of mathematics, a pass in the subject should remain a prerequisite for admission into higher institutions.
The NAPTAN official called on education policymakers to carefully review the implications of removing mathematics from admission requirements.
