Says cancellation was a mistake, regrettable • Varsities to
charge N2,000 per candidate • JAMB slashes varsity cut-off point to 120 •...
Stakeholders hail reintroduction of exercise The Federal Government on Tuesday
made a U-Turn and ordered the reintroduction of the post-Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) screening exercise that was cancelled in
the 2015/2016 admission exercise. The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu,
who gave the directive, regretted the earlier decision to cancel the post-UTME
screening exercise as a great mistake, saying that the reversal by government
was because of the economic challenges that engulfed the nation and the reality
on ground. The minister, who gave the above directive during the policy meeting
for the 2017/2018 admission exercise with Vice Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts,
and Registrars of tertiary institutions at the National Judicial Institute,
Abuja, also directed varsities to ensure that the post-UME exercise must be by
aptitude test and that students be charged N2,000 as fees. He said: ’The
decision to scrap the post-UTME screening exercise last year was a mistake that
must not be repeated as students must be properly screened before securing
final admission’’. The Daily Times recalls that the Minister had last year
declared post-UTME screening exercise as null and void; threatening that any
institution caught still conducting the examination under any guise would be
sanctioned. A strongly-worded statement from the Ministry of Education had at that
time cancelled the exercise with ‘’immediate effect and no institution should
conduct such examinations’’, adding that it was unnecessary to subject students
to further examinations when they have been offered examinations by JAMB since
they will still have to go through between eight or 12-semester examinations
throughout their four to six years study in the institutions. Reacting to the
reinstating of Post-UTME, Dr. Adekunle Idris, immediate past Chairman, Academic
Staff Union of Universities, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, hailed the
decision, adding that he was 100 percent in support of the test because “it is
the individual university that should determine the suitability of candidates
for admission”. He also said that: “The reintroduction of Post-UTME screening
is good for the universities to determine the right candidates for admission.
However, it is necessary for the Federal Government to regulate the amount to
be charged by universities per candidate so that the right candidates are not
shut out and denied access to university education”. Also speaking, Dr. Kehinde
Kemabonta of the Department of Zoology, University of Lagos, described the
return of Post-UTME screening exercise as “the best thing because we don’t know
how most of the students got As in their WAEC. “The same students would come
and do Post-UTME screening and score below 40 percent which is the cut-off for
UNILAG. There is an anomaly somewhere. It is ridiculous and embarrassing.
Government needs to check out what is wrong otherwise we may eventually have
the wrong people in the system and the right people shut out of the university
system. The genuine people must not be denied access in the system. It is wrong
for the Federal Government in the first place to have scrapped the Post-UTME
screening exercise,” he added. He cited the example of a student who had all As
in her WAEC but when the admission list of UNILAG came out her name was not
there and she came complaining to him. Dr. Kemabonta said upon checking her
Post-UTME score, she scored below the cut-off point of the university.
Meanwhile, in a surprise move, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board
(JAMB) has slashed the cut-off point for university admissions from 180 to 120,
saying the move is to liberalize the admission process like what is obtainable
in Ghana and other countries. JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed
this in Abuja on Tuesday during the policy meeting for the 2017/2018 admission
exercise with vice chancellors, Rectors, Provosts, and Registrars of tertiary
institutions at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja. He also spoke
extensively on the new developmental methods being put in place against the
2017/2018 JAMB, saying that the agency has introduced the central admissions
processing system (CAPS) to ensure quality control, transparency and
credibility of admission process. He said: “The new policy is expected to make
provision for a market place for JAMB portal where institutions can go and
request for students in Nigeria who score their cut off points. “With the new
system, no candidate can upload a fake o level result as before now, “he added.
The JAMB boss also said that only three universities can request for a
candidates once the system is adopted while also saying that there will be no
automatic admission for those without the necessary requirements, hence JAMB
will contact the institutions to know why they are not admitted yet. Other
decisions reached at the policy meeting include the reduction of cut off points
for Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Mono- technics to 100,100, and 110
respectively It was also resolved that admissions into Nigerian universities
for 2017 academic session should be concluded by October this year. Reacting,
the former Vice Chancellor of Rivers State owned Ignatius Ajuru University,
Prof Rosemund Dienye, has rejected the slashing of varsity cut off to 120 by
JAMB, saying the development will reduce competition and the quality of the
admission exercise. Rosemund, who spoke to The Daily Times on telephone, also maintained
that Nigeria is not yet ripe for liberalized admission exercise, since she does
not have the needed infrastructure to absorb the expected upsurge in the number
of applicants.
Says cancellation was a
mistake, regrettable
• Varsities to charge N2,000 per candidate
• JAMB slashes varsity cut-off point to 120
• Stakeholders hail reintroduction of exercise
The Federal Government on Tuesday made a U-Turn and ordered the
reintroduction of the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination
(Post-UTME) screening exercise that was cancelled in the 2015/2016
admission exercise.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who gave the directive,
regretted the earlier decision to cancel the post-UTME screening
exercise as a great mistake, saying that the reversal by government was
because of the economic challenges that engulfed the nation and the
reality on ground.
The minister, who gave the above directive during the policy meeting for
the 2017/2018 admission exercise with Vice Chancellors, Rectors,
Provosts, and Registrars of tertiary institutions at the National
Judicial Institute, Abuja, also directed varsities to ensure that the
post-UME exercise must be by aptitude test and that students be charged
N2,000 as fees.
He said: ’The decision to scrap the post-UTME screening exercise last
year was a mistake that must not be repeated as students must be
properly screened before securing final admission’’.
The Daily Times recalls that the Minister had last year declared
post-UTME screening exercise as null and void; threatening that any
institution caught still conducting the examination under any guise
would be sanctioned.
A strongly-worded statement from the Ministry of Education had at that
time cancelled the exercise with ‘’immediate effect and no institution
should conduct such examinations’’, adding that it was unnecessary to
subject students to further examinations when they have been offered
examinations by JAMB since they will still have to go through between
eight or 12-semester examinations throughout their four to six years
study in the institutions.
Reacting to the reinstating of Post-UTME, Dr. Adekunle Idris, immediate
past Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Lagos State
University, Ojo, Lagos, hailed the decision, adding that he was 100
percent in support of the test because “it is the individual university
that should determine the suitability of candidates for admission”.
He also said that: “The reintroduction of Post-UTME screening is good
for the universities to determine the right candidates for admission.
However, it is necessary for the Federal Government to regulate the
amount to be charged by universities per candidate so that the right
candidates are not shut out and denied access to university education”.
Also speaking, Dr. Kehinde Kemabonta of the Department of Zoology,
University of Lagos, described the return of Post-UTME screening
exercise as “the best thing because we don’t know how most of the
students got As in their WAEC.
“The same students would come and do Post-UTME screening and score below
40 percent which is the cut-off for UNILAG. There is an anomaly
somewhere. It is ridiculous and embarrassing. Government needs to check
out what is wrong otherwise we may eventually have the wrong people in
the system and the right people shut out of the university system. The
genuine people must not be denied access in the system. It is wrong for
the Federal Government in the first place to have scrapped the Post-UTME
screening exercise,” he added.
He cited the example of a student who had all As in her WAEC but when
the admission list of UNILAG came out her name was not there and she
came complaining to him.
Dr. Kemabonta said upon checking her Post-UTME score, she scored below
the cut-off point of the university.
Meanwhile, in a surprise move, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation
Board (JAMB) has slashed the cut-off point for university admissions
from 180 to 120, saying the move is to liberalise the admission process
like what is obtainable in Ghana and other countries.
JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday
during the policy meeting for the 2017/2018 admission exercise with vice
chancellors, Rectors, Provosts, and Registrars of tertiary institutions
at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja.
He also spoke extensively on the new developmental methods being put in
place against the 2017/2018 JAMB, saying that the agency has introduced
the central admissions processing system (CAPS) to ensure quality
control, transparency and credibility of admission process.
He said: “The new policy is expected to make provision for a market
place for JAMB portal where institutions can go and request for students
in Nigeria who score their cut off points.
“With the new system, no candidate can upload a fake o level result as
before now, “he added.
The JAMB boss also said that only three universities can request for a
candidates once the system is adopted while also saying that there will
be no automatic admission for those without the necessary requirements,
hence JAMB will contact the institutions to know why they are not
admitted yet.
Other decisions reached at the policy meeting include the reduction of
cut off points for Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Mono-technics
to 100,100, and 110 respectively
It was also resolved that admissions into Nigerian universities for 2017
academic session should be concluded by October this year.
Reacting, the former Vice Chancellor of Rivers State owned Ignatius
Ajuru University, Prof Rosemund Dienye, has rejected the slashing of
varsity cut off to 120 by JAMB, saying the development will reduce
competition and the quality of the admission exercise.
Rosemund, who spoke to The Daily Times on telephone, also maintained
that Nigeria is not yet ripe for liberalised admission exercise, since
she does not have the needed infrastructure to absorb the expected
upsurge in the number of applicants.
Read more at: https://dailytimes.ng/news/fg-makes-u-turn-reintroduces-post-utme-screening/
Read more at: https://dailytimes.ng/news/fg-makes-u-turn-reintroduces-post-utme-screening/
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