 |
| UTME in progress |
The
exam body added that it had introduced a Central Admissions and Processing
System to monitor compliance with the minimum prescribed cut-off mark and other
admission guidelines, as well as empower candidates to track the process of
admission.
The
Head of Public Affairs, JAMB, Mr. Fabian Benjamin, said this in a statement
issued on Monday.
According
to the statement, high cut-off mark is responsible for the flight of many
Nigerians to “glorified secondary schools called universities” in neighbouring
countries and an increased pressure on the naira to pay school fees in foreign
currencies.
The
statement added, “The cut-off marks previously brandished to the public were
never strictly followed by most institutions. Some were going behind to admit
candidates with far less scores, while others admitted candidates who never sat
for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
“This
act, to say the least, is very distasteful and damaging to our national data
and identity. Unfortunately, the public has been kept away from this fact for
such a long time and now that we are saying it the way it is and working to
address it, the public is criticizing us and using non-existing parameters that
only announced and not followed.’’
Adding
that the JAMB would not relent in “supporting policies that would bring our
education system out of the woods’’, the statement said that it would pursue
the quest to ensure realistic benchmarks for national development.
“It
is necessary to explain that the 120 cut-off mark does not in any way suggest
that if you score 120 admission is guaranteed. Institutions will admit from the
top to the least mark. It’s also a known fact that for you to study a course,
say Hausa, in Nigerian universities, you will need a credit in Mathematics.
“However,
in London, all you will need is a credit in Hausa and English. This and many
other poorly thought-out policies have pushed frustrated candidates out of
Nigeria to the developed and neighbouring African nations for education, which
they could not get at home.
“The
issue that all of us should be concerned about is how to address the flight of
Nigerians to glorified secondary schools called universities in Ghana, Uganda,
even in The Gambia and other countries. How do we ensure that whatever we do
has positive multiplier effects on other sectors of the economy, if we deny our
candidates the opportunity to school in Nigeria?’’ it added.
 |
| Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu |
JAMB Replies
Critics Of Cut-Off Marks
In
a Press Release, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has
described as unnecessary the controversies over the reduction of cut-off marks
for 2017 admission exercise into tertiary institutions by stakeholders at its
policy meeting.
Rather
than criticisms, JAMB said, Nigerians should be concerned about how to address
the flight of citizens in glorified secondary schools called foreign
Universities in places like country Ghana, Uganda, Gambia and others.
“It
is expedient to state here that the worst admitted cut-off mark in a Nigerian
institution is far better than allowing them to fly out to some of the
institution they are attending out there which we all know are nothing to be
proud of”, JAMB said.
The
organization had repeatedly emphasized that despite the reduction of cut-off
points from 180 for Universities and 165 Polytechnics, to now 120 and 100
respectively for the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination (UTME),
institutions were not under compulsion to accept that as their benchmarks for
admission.
However,
despite all the explanations, critics have continued to duel on it, fuelling
insinuations that they may have been paid to do a hatchet job against JAMB.
But
the spokesperson of JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, in a statement issued on Sunday in
Jos, the Plateau State capital, said despite the criticisms, the organization
would not lose focus.
He
said, “The much trending controversy over the just released cut off marks for
2017 admission exercise by stakeholders at the policy meeting is quite
unnecessary. Today, we are where we are because many are afraid to say the
truth for fear of being condemned rather than being celebrated and set free as
commanded by the Holy Books.
“This
notwithstanding, JAMB will not be deterred, we will continue to say the truth
as it is and support policies that would bring our education system out of the
woods. Today, it is a known fact that millions of Nigerians are out there
schooling in mushroom institutions and they will at the end come back with all
kinds of degrees and certificates that we cannot explain their content.
“Our
Naira is continually devalued as a result of so many reasons, including the
pressure to pay these school fees. Irrespective of this turn of events in our
education history, our tertiary institutions hardly fill their available spaces
otherwise known as carrying capacity. So, it is obvious that the quest to go
abroad for foreign education is not as a result of shortage of spaces or
standards given some of the institutions attended by these Nigerians but partly
due to the fact that some of our policies and attitudes to national values and
deep concern for realistic benchmarks for national development.
“It’s
also a known fact that for you to study a course say Hausa in Nigerian
universities, you will need a credit in Mathematics; however, when you go
outside like London, all you will need is a credit in Hausa and English, no
Mathematics. Such and so many other poorly thought-out policies have pushed our
frustrated candidates out of Nigeria to developed and neighbouring African
nations for education they could not get at home.
“The
question we all should be concerned about is how to address the flight of
Nigerians to glorified secondary schools called Universities in Ghana, Uganda
and even Gambia and others. How do we ensure that whatever we do has positive
multiplier effects on other sectors of the economy? If we deny our candidates
the opportunity to school in Nigeria, they will find their way out and in doing
that deplete our economic base.
“To
provide answers to all these challenges, stakeholders decided that institutions
should be allowed to determine their cut-off marks according to their
peculiarities and the quality and standards they want to be known for. It is
expedient to state here that the worst admitted cut-off mark in a Nigerian
institution is far better than allowing them to fly out to some of the
institution they are attending out there which we all know are nothing to be
proud of.
“Besides,
events have shown that many institutions do not comply with cut-off marks in
the past; hence the flood of requests for regularization. Now, the new
management has resolved to stop it and ensure full compliance with resolutions
on cut off-marks.
“JAMB
will equally ensure that it correct all anomalies existing especially as
regards the powers of institutions to make pronouncements on admissions and
other related matters affecting the institutions. The public should not forget
that JAMB is a creation of the demands of the then Vice Chancellors for a
central institution that will streamline the process of admission and eliminate
multiplicity of entrance examination and admissions.
“In
view of this mandate, JAMB will confine itself to these provisions especially
the conduct of examinations and release of results to the institutions. It is
also very misleading to say that Vice-Chancellors reject the cut-off mark. This
may be the editors’ power of caption, you can only reject an offer and not when
the power to determine such privilege lays squarely on your hands.
“All
Heads of tertiary institutions were requested to submit their cut off benchmark
to the Board which will then be used for the admission. And these benchmarks
once determined cannot be changed in the middle of admission exercise. Again,
it is necessary to explain that the 120 mark does not in any way suggest that
once you have 120 then admission is sure for you. Institutions will admit from
the top to the least mark.
“We
are now starting the actually monitoring of adherence to admissions guidelines,
cut-off marks inclusive. The cut-off marks being branded by the public as
previous cut-off mark were never strictly followed by most institutions. The
institutions were going behind to admit candidates with far less with others
admitting candidates who never sat for JAMB.
“This
act to say the least is very distasteful and damaging to our national data and
identity. Unfortunately, the public has been kept away from this fact for such
a long time and now that we are saying it the way it is and working to address
it, the public is criticizing us, using non-existing parameters that were only
announced and not followed.
“In
years past, admissions were done with worst cut-off marks. We are determined
and ready to correct all these with the 2017 exercise. JAMB has designed a
Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) to check back-door admission and
other unwholesome practices associated with admission.
“We are sure that the system will bring out the good in us as it will also make provision for candidates to track their admission. This empowers them to raise queries if a candidate they have better scores over and other prerequisites are admitted which CAPS will not allow anyway. This is the inclusiveness and transparency that education needs.”
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