A distraught mother, Mrs. OgoOluwa Terkaa Aondo has accused Loyola Jesuit College (LJC) in Abuja of blatant discrimination and bias in their admission procedures, citing her 11-year-old son as a victim.
The mother in a letter addressed to the Minister of Education, dated May 17, 2024, by her counsel, Matthew Burkaa, SAN, expressed disappointment that after Caleb’s successful performance in the 2024/2025 Junior Secondary School (JSS) One Entrance examination and was ranked 29th out of approximately 6,000 students and was denied admission after encountering obstacles in the cause of payment and admission confirmation process.
The family argued that their son met all requirements, including excelling in the interview process, yet faced undue barriers in securing his place at the prestigious institution.
The family alleged discriminatory practices, citing instances where candidates who did not select Loyola Jesuit College as their first choice were admitted while deserving candidates like Master Aondo Terdoo Caleb were overlooked.
The lawyer called for the restoration of Master Caleb’s admission within seven days, along with the return of his personal belongings held by the school.
The letter called for the upholding of constitutional rights and ensuring equal educational opportunities for all students, regardless of background or ethnicity, stressing the need for accountability and the protection of students’ rights in Nigeria’s education system.
The legal practitioner requested the Minister of Education to wade in on the alleged discriminatory denial of boy’s admission.
“The family of Master Caleb is seeking a directive from the Ministry to Loyola Jesuit College to reverse its decision preventing Caleb from paying the registration fee less than 24 hours before the deadline, despite his successful admission for the 2024/2025 academic session,” the lawyer stated.
They also urge Ministry to directive the college to officially recognize Caleb as a student and grant him all rights, privileges, entitlements, and facilities provided to students of the 2024/2025 academic session without any restrictions.
The lawyer also demanded that Loyola Jesuit College return Caleb’s birth certificate to his guardians for safekeeping.
