– JAMB has said that it may cancel the use
of general cut-off marks for candidates of
the UTME
– The examination body says the cut-off
marks are currently being subjected to
debates
– JAMB says it is no longer feasible to have
all tertiary institutions have the same
admission cut-off marks
The uniform cut-off points for admitting
candidates that took the Universities Tertiary
Matriculation Examination may be canceled,
says the Joint Admissions and Matriculation
Board (JAMB).
Candidates writing the Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination (UTME). Photo:
NAN
The issue of cut-off marks as currently
being used for admission, it said, should be
subjected to national debate by
stakeholders.
The spokesperson of JAMB, Dr Fabian
Benjamin, gave the indication in a statement
he issued on behalf of its Registrar/Chief
Executive, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, on Sunday
evening in Abuja.
He said a situation where universities,
polytechnics and colleges of education were
subjected to the same cut-off marks was no
longer tenable because it prevented the
institutions from admitting candidates of
their choice.
Tertiary institutions, he sated, should be
allowed to determine the kind of candidates
they want to admit.
He added that there was an urgent need to
reconsider the current cut-off point of 180
for admission in order to strengthen access
to education, particularly for the less-
privileged.
Benjamin said: “The uniformity of cut-off
marks doesn’t make any sense when colleges
(of education) and polytechnics admit for
national certificate of education and diplomas,
while universities admit for degrees.
Yet, we subject them to the same cut-off
marks, thereby starving these tiers of
institutions from admitting candidates who, if
not engaged, may likely become easy prey to
social vices.
“This means that if a University wants 250 as
minimum cut-off marks, why not? And if
another wants less so be it. If a Polytechnic
like YABATECH (Yaba College of Technology)
wants 250 as cut-off marks, let them admit
and if Gboko Polytechnic in Benue State where
I come from wants less than 200, let them
admit.
“Institutions should be known for their
individual quality and not collective standards.
This will foster positive competition for the
overall good of our tertiary institutions. It is
critical for all notable stakeholders to rethink
the issue of cut-off marks
“I am calling for a national debate on the
propriety of cut off marks; institutions should
be allowed to determine the kind of candidates
they want.”
JAMB also expressed worry over the class
opportunities as it affects the distribution of
admission resources.
The organisation said, “The rich have multiple
opportunities which include going abroad for
studies while the poor only have the
opportunity of struggling for the scarce spaces
here.
“They come back and they are integrated while
the poor can’t afford it and are forever denied
the opportunity of education. Let institutions
admit what they want according to their
needs.”
JAMB urged Nigerians to look at the
decision critically for it to take action that
would be for the good of the education
sector, The Punch reports.
In the same vein, Professor Ishaq Oloyede,
the registrar of the Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board (JAMB), has revealed
that they have scrapped the use of scratch
cards for any transactions and services.
The reason given for the scrapping was that
it was archaic and subject to fraud. On
another note, the registrar, also demanded
that the federal government should revert to
the former system where serving vice
chancellors of universities were made
chairmen of the governing board of JAMB.
Dr Fabian Benjamin the spokesperson for
JAMB, said, the decision to scrap the use of
scratch cards was announced by the
registrar in Abuja in a paper he delivered
during a meeting of the association of vice
chancellors of Nigerian universities.
In lieu of the scratch cards, the platform of
pin vending will be used, in order to check all
forms of fraudulent practices which was
prevalent with the use of scratch cards.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate on Thursday,
October 13, extended the validity period of
the Joint Admissions and Matriculation
Board (JAMB), Unified Tertiary Matriculation
Examination (UTME) to three years against
the present one year.
The extension was sequel to the amendment
of the Act establishing the JAMB and it
scaled through third reading today.
To this end, results obtained from the board
by candidates seeking admission into
universities are expected to last for three
years.
The Senate adopted the recommendation
that the UTME examination should have a
validity period of three years to reduce the
financial burden on parents .
of general cut-off marks for candidates of
the UTME
– The examination body says the cut-off
marks are currently being subjected to
debates
– JAMB says it is no longer feasible to have
all tertiary institutions have the same
admission cut-off marks
The uniform cut-off points for admitting
candidates that took the Universities Tertiary
Matriculation Examination may be canceled,
says the Joint Admissions and Matriculation
Board (JAMB).
Candidates writing the Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination (UTME). Photo:
NAN
The issue of cut-off marks as currently
being used for admission, it said, should be
subjected to national debate by
stakeholders.
The spokesperson of JAMB, Dr Fabian
Benjamin, gave the indication in a statement
he issued on behalf of its Registrar/Chief
Executive, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, on Sunday
evening in Abuja.
He said a situation where universities,
polytechnics and colleges of education were
subjected to the same cut-off marks was no
longer tenable because it prevented the
institutions from admitting candidates of
their choice.
Tertiary institutions, he sated, should be
allowed to determine the kind of candidates
they want to admit.
He added that there was an urgent need to
reconsider the current cut-off point of 180
for admission in order to strengthen access
to education, particularly for the less-
privileged.
Benjamin said: “The uniformity of cut-off
marks doesn’t make any sense when colleges
(of education) and polytechnics admit for
national certificate of education and diplomas,
while universities admit for degrees.
Yet, we subject them to the same cut-off
marks, thereby starving these tiers of
institutions from admitting candidates who, if
not engaged, may likely become easy prey to
social vices.
“This means that if a University wants 250 as
minimum cut-off marks, why not? And if
another wants less so be it. If a Polytechnic
like YABATECH (Yaba College of Technology)
wants 250 as cut-off marks, let them admit
and if Gboko Polytechnic in Benue State where
I come from wants less than 200, let them
admit.
“Institutions should be known for their
individual quality and not collective standards.
This will foster positive competition for the
overall good of our tertiary institutions. It is
critical for all notable stakeholders to rethink
the issue of cut-off marks
“I am calling for a national debate on the
propriety of cut off marks; institutions should
be allowed to determine the kind of candidates
they want.”
JAMB also expressed worry over the class
opportunities as it affects the distribution of
admission resources.
The organisation said, “The rich have multiple
opportunities which include going abroad for
studies while the poor only have the
opportunity of struggling for the scarce spaces
here.
“They come back and they are integrated while
the poor can’t afford it and are forever denied
the opportunity of education. Let institutions
admit what they want according to their
needs.”
JAMB urged Nigerians to look at the
decision critically for it to take action that
would be for the good of the education
sector, The Punch reports.
In the same vein, Professor Ishaq Oloyede,
the registrar of the Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board (JAMB), has revealed
that they have scrapped the use of scratch
cards for any transactions and services.
The reason given for the scrapping was that
it was archaic and subject to fraud. On
another note, the registrar, also demanded
that the federal government should revert to
the former system where serving vice
chancellors of universities were made
chairmen of the governing board of JAMB.
Dr Fabian Benjamin the spokesperson for
JAMB, said, the decision to scrap the use of
scratch cards was announced by the
registrar in Abuja in a paper he delivered
during a meeting of the association of vice
chancellors of Nigerian universities.
In lieu of the scratch cards, the platform of
pin vending will be used, in order to check all
forms of fraudulent practices which was
prevalent with the use of scratch cards.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate on Thursday,
October 13, extended the validity period of
the Joint Admissions and Matriculation
Board (JAMB), Unified Tertiary Matriculation
Examination (UTME) to three years against
the present one year.
The extension was sequel to the amendment
of the Act establishing the JAMB and it
scaled through third reading today.
To this end, results obtained from the board
by candidates seeking admission into
universities are expected to last for three
years.
The Senate adopted the recommendation
that the UTME examination should have a
validity period of three years to reduce the
financial burden on parents .
Comments
Post a Comment