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Tag: JAMB

  • Fee: So-called poor people are not genuinely poor – JAMB Registrar

    Fee: So-called poor people are not genuinely poor – JAMB Registrar

    JOINT Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede has vowed to always return every unspent kobo by the board to the Federal Government coffers.

    He said the controversies trailing the huge amount he turned to the government coffers this year was uncalled for.

    Prof. Oloyede said JAMB is not a wasteful agency and whatever comes in would be appropriately remitted into the federal government purse.

    The former vice chancellor of the University of Ilorin told reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara state.

    He said the board would be strengthened to make it a self-sustaining one as obtainable across the world.

    “I am not aware of any agency that is with the nature of JAMB in the world that is being funded by government. But in Nigeria, because, we have used to something that is not proper and to get us out of what’s improper will even be strange,” he added.

    He also promised that the board would improve on its activities in the coming years, calling on all stakeholders in the education sector to be up and doing and be honest in the discharge of their responsibilities.

    Prof Oloyede revealed that the board might not review downward the fee for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in 2018.

    He said the board had initially thought of reducing the fee but unwholesome activities of the so-called poor parents in the 2017 UTME no longer make the reduction attractive as it was at the beginning.

    He explained that many arrested during the last UTME had collected huge amount of money from the parents of the so-called poor parents while seeking unholy support.

    He said: “It’s one of the options but what’s mitigating against it is that I’m not convinced and I don’t think the Board too is convinced that the so-called poor people are genuinely poor.

    “Our findings have revealed that what people spent in corrupting the society, what parents paid for seeking unholy support and what parents are prepared to part looking for how to cut corners show that if actually they are poor they will not be able to secure the resources they are wasting.”

  • JAMB will return unspent money to FG – Registrar

    JAMB will return unspent money to FG – Registrar

    The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said on Thursday the body would return unspent money to the Federal Government’s coffers.

    He said the controversies trailing the huge amount returned to government’s coffers this year was unnecessary.

    Oloyede said JAMB is not a wasteful agency, adding that whatever comes in would be appropriately remitted into the federal government purse.

    The former vice chancellor of the University of Ilorin told journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State, that the Admission Board would be strengthened to make it a self-sustaining agency of government.

    He said: “I am not aware of any agency that is with the nature of JAMB in the world that is being funded by government. But in Nigeria, because, we are used to something that is not proper and to get us out of what is improper will even be strange.”

    He said JAMB would improve on its activities in the coming years and urged all stakeholders in the education sector to be be honest in the discharge of their responsibilities.

    He also said the Board would not review downward the fee for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in 2018.

     

  • Ministry to introduce tourism as a subject in senior sec. schools

    Ministry to introduce tourism as a subject in senior sec. schools

    Mrs Patricia Narai, Deputy Director, Domestic Tourism in the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture said plans have been concluded to introduce it as a subject at the senior secondary school level.

    Narai said this in an interview on Tuesday in Abuja.

    “The Nigerian Educational Development Council has proposed 34 trades and identified tourism as one of the trades to be thought at the entrepreneurship level.

    “So students from SS I to SS III will soon start studying tourism and at that level they can come out victorious and establish a tourism business of their own.

    “And they can also further their education on that line.

    “What is left now is the approval, and am sure that soon, the curriculum will be out and the students will start studying tourism,” Narai said.

    On its impact, the deputy director said the students would be empowered with skills and knowledge on the section.

    She maintained that after graduation from secondary school, such a person could become a tour guard, event manager, visa professional or get employment in the sector.

    “This is because he or she would have acquired the needed skills and knowledge to effectively carry out responsibilities that will encourage tourists and boost the positive image of the country.”

    On getting the propose tourism subject into Joint Admission and Matriculation Board Examination, she explained that it would be a gradual process.

    “We have done the curriculum, when it is approved, the teachers guide will follow to enable them know what they are going to teach and subsequently it will go into JAMB and NECO examinations.

    “The essence of this is to catch them young; by the time tourism is studied in all senior secondary schools across the country, it will go a long way to produce large workforce for the sector,” Narai said.

    NAN

  • JAMB to partner Ministry on CBT examination abroad

    JAMB to partner Ministry on CBT examination abroad

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Sunday, said it would partner with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to conduct public examination through Computer Based Test (CBT) for Nigerians abroad.

    JAMB’s Head of Public Relations, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    Benjamin said that the collaboration was to enhance the conduct of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for foreign candidates in 2018.

    He said 2017 UTME was conducted for foreign candidates on Sept. 30 in Gambia, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Ghana, Cote D’ Voir, Benin Republic, Ethiopia, South Africa and Cameroun.

    According to him, although the conduct of the examination was not justifiable, in terms of monetary value, there is need for JAMB to collaborate, to promote growth in the education sector.

    “We are already promoting CBT in line with international best practices; we have taken it to some countries in Africa, we need to do more to encourage the practice.

    “We have even gone ahead to see how we can put some countries on the global map by conducting our public examination there through CBT.

    “What we want to do is to partner with the Ministry to be able to key into the global technology revolution as part of our foreign policy.

    “We must be able to maximise profit, especially from West African countries that we are offering assistance, through scholarship, to school in Nigeria.

    “We cannot achieve much by looking at things from naira and kobo, but through diplomatic relations there will be adequate room to gain through conduct of examination abroad,” he said.

    The head of public relations explained that foreign candidates sat for examination in one session based on local time of their various countries, adding that the questions were deployed from the Board’s headquarters.

    He decried message on the social media that the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, had directed the refund of post UTME fee, describing the information as false and could create confusion in the public domain.

    Benjamin urged the public to disregard the information, saying that institutions that had charged more than N2, 000 would be asked to make refund of the excess.

    He described as unfortunate a situation where some institutions could not adhere to the minister’ directive about the payment of post-UTME.

  • Reps to probe JAMB’s low cut-off mark

    •Lawmakers want JAMB, UTME scrapped

    THE House of Representatives has expressed concerns over the low cut-off marks for admission into universities and polytechnics announced by the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB).

    The lawmakers were of the opinion that with the reduction of the cut- off marks by JAMB, the standard of education may nosedive. Hence, many legislators opposed the decision of the board.

    Subsequently, the House mandated its Committee on Tertiary Education and Services to investigate the circumstances leading to the reduction in the cut-off marks required for admissions of candidates into tertiary institutions.

    Members gave the committee, which is also to investigate if the action of JAMB would reduce the standard of education, four weeks to turn in its report for further legislative action.

    The resolution of the Green Chamber was sequel to the passage of a motion by a member, Hassan Saleh, entitled: “The need to investigate the reduction in the cut-off marks for admissions into tertiary institutions in Nigeria”.

    Arguing his motion, the lawmaker expressed concern that the policy could lower educational standard in tertiary institutions as many candidates, who perform poorly in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), could secure admissions “through nepotism, bribery and corruption while many other candidates who perform excellently could be denied admissions”.

    He added: “Despite the fact that more than 500,000 candidates scored above 200 marks, which represents 50 per cent of the total mark, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board still went ahead to announce a 120 cut-off mark, which represents only 30 per cent of the total examination mark of 400, while 100 marks stipulated for polytechnics and Colleges of Education represent only 25 per cent of the total mark.”

    However, another member, Ahmed Pategi, noted that JAMB has done the right thing.

    According to him, the new policy had the blessing of all stakeholders in tertiary education. He added that it would be unfair to deny a child admission into a higher institution because his/her UTME score, even after 11 years of basic education.

    Some of the candidates, he argued, passed out with five credits, including credits in English Language and Mathematics.

    Nonetheless, members like Abubakar Chika, Henry Archibong, Rita Orji and Afe Oluwookere, said the new policy would reduce the quality of education in the country.

    According to them, JAMB and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) should be scrapped as the board had outlived its usefulness by the decision to lower cut-off marks for admission into tertiary institutions.

    The lawmakers said JAMB was yielding to privately owned universities, many of whom are seeking to increase the number of yearly admissions into their schools.

    Abubakar Chika, who was a lecturer, expressed concern that JAMB could succumb to pressure from private institutions.

    His words: “Let me even open up. This decision was taken because of   private universities; they usually need to admit the children of the rich, who are not ready to work hard.”

    At August 22 policy meeting between JAMB management, the heads of tertiary institutions and other stakeholders, the board registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, announced that a minimum of 120 marks in the UTME would be required for admission of candidates into universities.

    It was also agreed that a minimum of 100 marks would be required for placement into polytechnics or Colleges of Education.

     

     

  • Reps to probe JAMB cut-off mark

    Reps to probe JAMB cut-off mark

    The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Tertiary Education and Services to investigate the circumstances surrounding the reduction of JAMB cut-off mark for admitting candidates into tertiary institutions.

    This followed a motion by Rep Hassan Saleh (Benue-APC) on the “Need to Investigate the Reduction in the Cut-off Marks for Admissions into Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria’’ at plenary on Tuesday.

    The committee is expected to report back findings within four weeks, was directed to determine whether the cut-off mark reduction would lower the standard of education in the country.

    Moving the motion, Saleh expressed concern that the new policy was bound to lower the standard and quality of education from the tertiary institutions.

    According to him, many candidates who perform poorly in Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) can secure admission through nepotism, bribery and corruption while many other candidates who perform excellently can be denied admission.

    Saleh said that in spite of the fact that more than 500,000 candidates scored above 200 marks, representing 50 percent of the total mark, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) reduced cut-off mark to 120.

    He said that the cut-off mark represented only 30 percent of the total examination mark of 400, adding that 100 marks fixed for Polytechnics and Colleges of Education was 25 percent of the total mark.

    In his contribution, Rep Ahmed Pategi (Kwara-APC) disagreed with the motion, saying that the decision taken by JAMB was in order.

    Pategi said that all stakeholders in tertiary education were in agreement with JAMB on the new policy.

    He added that it was unfair to deny a child admission into higher institution simply on his/her UTME score even after eleven years of basic education and possession of five credits, including in English Language and Mathematics.

    Other lawmakers supported the motion and called for a reversal of the policy, saying universities were supposed to be centres of excellence for learning, hence the need to always admit the best candidates.

    According to them, it will be in order to produce graduates that can compete favourably with their peers anywhere in the World.

    Rep. Afe Oluwookere (Ondo-APC) described the new policy as “highly detrimental’’ to the country’s push for economic growth and development.

    On their parts, Reps. Henry Archibong, Rita Orji and Abubakar Chika called for the scraping of JAMB and the UTME.

    They stated that lowering cut-off marks for admission into tertiary institutions was a signal that the Board had outlived its usefulness.

    The lawmakers also accused JAMB of buckling under pressure from privately owned universities, many of whom were seeking to increase the number of yearly admissions into their schools.

    Rep. Abubakar Chika (Niger-APC), a former lecturer at the Polytechnic, said it was highly disappointing that JAMB could succumb to pressure from private institutions, which he alleged had long pushed for cut-off marks to be lowered.

    “Let me even open up, this decision was taken because of private universities. They usually need to admit the children of the rich, who are not ready to work hard,’’ he said.

    Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, announced that a minimum of 120 marks in the UTME would be required for placement of candidates into universities, while 100 marks were needed for placement into Polytechnics or Colleges of Education.

    The announcement followed the August 22 policy meeting between JAMB, heads of tertiary institutions and other stakeholders, on modalities for the conduct of admissions into tertiary institutions for the 2017/2018 academic session.

  • JAMB insists on verification of candidates’ WASCE results before admission

    JAMB insists on verification of candidates’ WASCE results before admission

    THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) insisted yesterday that it would demand for the records of ordinary and advanced level results of candidates recommended by tertiary institutions before offering them admission.

    JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede said this during this year’s meeting on Admissions Exercise for the Innovative Enterprise Institutions in Abuja.

    Oloyede said the board would for the first time demand a proper screening of candidates’ records before offering them admission.

    He lamented a situation, where candidates were admitted in the past without the requisite requirements, saying that this had led to increase in illegal admissions in tertiary institutions.

    The registrar insisted that institutions must maintain the standard set by the board beginning from this year’s admission.

    He said: “From this year now, we are demanding records of the O’levels of the candidates you are admitting and that is for the first time.

    “When you recommend a person for admission, we want to see what qualification does he or she possess not just telling me that he or she scored 300 in UTME. What of the real qualification?

    “It used to be left to the discretion of the institutions. We are saying the standard must be maintained.

    “Some of the people who are criticising JAMB, by the time they see the outcome, they will see that this step is towards increasing quality and avoiding the fraud that has been going on in the admission process.”

    Oloyede said the agency would stop the regularisation of all forms of illegal admissions conducted by tertiary institutions from this year.

    According to him, any admission done under the table would not be regularised, warning candidates and tertiary institutions to desist from engaging in any form of illegal admission.

    The registrar said: “Illegal admission used to go on and we are saying part of our effort is to make sure we put a stop to illegal admission.

    “Illegal admission in terms of people not even taking the unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME) at all not to talk of scoring zero.

    “Illegal admission by even admitting people who do not have the requisite ordinary level (O’level) because before now, JAMB does not have the record of their O’level.”

    Oloyede warned that any candidate, who fails to upload his or her O’level result on the board’s website, would not be offered admission.

     

     

  • Clarification JAMB should make

    Clarification JAMB should make

    Sir: The Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, has said many things about the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), including that “JAMB is not an examination body, rather, it is a ranking body”; “ JAMB is a screening body”; “It is a coordinating and clearing house”; “to rank already qualified candidates”.

    All of that suggests (indeed indicates) that UTME is no longer necessary. But then a caveat: “If there are enough spaces in tertiary institutions, there may not be need for UTME.” But UTME has been neutralized with some other statements of JAMB, since “The cut-off mark is not a pass or fail mark”, and admission depends on “one of many factors such as post-UTME (where applicable), O’ Level results scoring, etc”.

    When JAMB set 120 as cut-off mark, many Nigerians were protesting that it meant 30% is taken as pass mark, and that it was too low, and that JAMB was out to lower the already low or falling standard of education. JAMB came out to explain that tertiary institutions were free to set its own cut-off, but not lower than 120. Some other people argue, justly, that JAMB has neutralized UTME, for making 30% to be pass mark. With all of the foregoing, where is the place of UTME again? I heard a tertiary institution asking prospective applicants to come with or without UTME but the requisite five credits. That is not objectionable in itself, but a categorical statement (not perambulating) from JAMB is imperative.

    Whether “there are enough spaces in tertiary institutions” or not, UTME, as it stands currently has been justly neutralized, and putting prospective tertiary education applicants through unnecessary UTME hassle, particularly at this critical moment of economic hardship, is unacceptable. It is not UTME that makes JAMB a clearing house “to rank already qualified candidates”. Candidates become “already qualified” or not, based on “O’ Level results scoring” and screening/test by the admitting institutions. JAMB should therefore reconsider its position and give UTME an honorable and befitting burial.

     

    • Prof Oyeniran Abioje,

    University of Ilorin.

  • Political elite should send wards to Nigerian schools – JAMB

    The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) wants Nigeria’s political  elite  to encourage their children  to obtain their first degree at home  before going for further studies abroad.

    The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, told reporters  on the sidelines of a workshop on intensive Training and Sensitisation Forum on Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) in Abuja that it would be worthwhile for such  children to obtain their first degree in Nigeria where the public and private institutions are of high quality and standard rather than study abroad at institutions that are of poor quality and low standard.

     ”But if they wish to go for Masters, PhD and so on elsewhere, there is nothing bad about that,” he said.

    “But for the first degree, we have enough universities here – both public and private because when most of them go outside Nigeria to study, they do that at private institutions.

    “And I know countries in Africa where Nigerian students constitute 90 per cent of the class in every set as if those institutions were set up for Nigerians.

    “What we are saying is that you have better value if you send your children to private universities in Nigeria than sending them to study at private universities of poor quality outside Nigeria.’’

    Oloyede asked  owners of private universities to consider the economic situation in the country and make tuition fees affordable for parents.

    He said that the institutions were operating in a competitive world and that failure to check excessive increase in tuition fees could force many of the schools to close shop

    He added:”I believe that private institutions are established for worthy purpose.

    “I also believe that private institutions’ charges are high, but they are not as high as traveling outside the country and people still send large number of students to inferior universities.”

  • JAMB: only qualified candidates will be offered admission

    JAMB: only qualified candidates will be offered admission

    THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board ( JAMB ) said yesterday that it will not consider any candidate without O’Level or A’Level requirement for admission this year.

    It said only candidates who meet the requirements and other criteria set by institutions would be offered admission.

    JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede stated this at a training and sensitisation forum on Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) for admission offers, candidates and stakeholders in Abuja.

    According to him, before any tertiary institution can recommend any candidate for admission, the institution must ensure that such candidate has the O’Level or A’Level requirements and meets other admission requirements.

    The registrar explained that candidates with higher scores in the unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME) may not be admitted but could be eligible for admission consideration.

    Prof. Oloyede said: “Scoring higher than the cut-off mark does not guarantee admission but makes the candidate eligible for admission consideration. It is not UTME that qualifies the person. It is O’Level, A ‘Level that qualifies a person for admission.

    “That is why you can go from here to UK, you can go to Ghana, Uganda, Republic of Benin, nobody ask you of your UTME. They ask for your O’Level because by law, it is the school certificate that qualifies you not JAMB.”