Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Ezekwesili, Adeniyi oppose 120 cut off marks, want JAMB scrapped

By Adamu Abuh (Abuja) and Augustina Okpechi (Lagos)
28 August 2017   |   3:49 am
According to a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Dr. Joseph Tejumaye, the post-UTME is imperative to enhance standard in the tertiary education sub-sector.

Former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili

• Mixed reactions trail reintroduction of post-UTME

A former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili has opposed the 120 cut-off marks set by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The Chairman of the Editorial Board of ThisDay Newspaper has also condemned the decision.

Both leaders spoke at the weekend at the teens’ career conference organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Abuja. Ezekwesili explained that the measure would encourage mediocrity in the country’s educational system.

She called for a reform of the system, adding that there was the need to grant universities autonomy to determine the standard required to admit students. “What we need to do is to make JAMB an examination regulatory body. We need to give our universities the opportunity to set standards, so that we do not sacrifice competitiveness in the process,” she said.

Adeniyi, who initiated the teen’s conference, said it was absurd for JAMB to have fixed such low cut off marks, which translated to 30 per cent per subject. He noted: “30 per cent used to be F9 even in those days. To now state that people who scored F9 should be admitted into the university is unfortunate. It is even worse for the polytechnic with 100 cut off, which is 25 per cent out of the maximum 400 marks.

“The measure would have negative impact on the teenagers, because the clear message would be that we no longer have standards in the country. It is a shame that a self-respecting authority as the JAMB would sanction such a thing.”

Meanwhile, stakeholders were yesterday divided over the reintroduction of the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by the Education Minister, Adamu Adamu for admission into tertiary institutions.

According to a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Dr. Joseph Tejumaye, the post-UTME is imperative to enhance standard in the tertiary education sub-sector.

He said the screening plays a critical role in university admission by ensuring that the right candidates are admitted. On his part, Dr. Bakare Abdul Razak of the Department of Business Administration, UNILAG, said there is an urgent need to go back to the basics to restore the lost values.

But for Dr. Olufemi Akintunde, also of the Department of Business Administration, the reintroduction would not address the nation’s deplorable education standard.

He disclosed that the screening is a “money making venture meant to corruptly enrich the universities. I have given up on the nation’s educational system, even if the candidates take the post-UTME, it does not stop them from getting admission through under-the- table means.”

Adamu had in 2016 announced the suspension of post-UTME and expressed confidence in the examination being conducted by the JAMB.

0 Comments