FG scrapped post UTME

Post UTME Updates...
As government, stakeholders peg cut-off mark at
18
By Laide Akinboade-Orire
ABUJA —The Federal Government has scrapped
post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations,
UTME, as a pre-condition to gaining admission
into universities in the country.


The government and stakeholders in education
sector also pegged 180 as the benchmark for
2016 admission into universities, polytechnics
and colleges of education to improve the quality
of education in Nigeria.


These decisions were reached at the 2016
Combined Policy Meeting on Admissions to
Universities, Polytechnics and other higher
institutions in Nigeria.

The Minister of Education , Malam Adamu
Adamu,while declaring open the meeting, said
since the federal government and stakeholders
had confidence in the examinations conducted
by the Joint Admissions and Matriulation Board,
JAMB, there was no need for other examinations
to be conducted by universities after JAMB
exams.

He said: “As far as I am concerned, the nation
has confidence in what JAMB is doing, the
universities should not be holding another
examinations and if the universities have any
complain against JAMB, let them bring it and
then we address it.


‘’But if JAMB is qualified enough to conduct
tests and they have conducted test, then there
will be no need to conduct another test for
students to gain admission.

“The ministry expects that all candidates given
admission must be from JAMB. but JAMB must
stop issuing admission letters, JAMB should get
in touch with institutions before offering
admission to students.


‘’The closing date is November 30th and no
university should exceed its admission capacity
and any tertiary institution that doesn’t follow the
rule, the ministry would start sanctioning them.
‘’Institutions should stop admitting students into
un-accredited courses in their institutions.

The
institutions should stop writing JAMB to increase
their quotas because JAMB cannot do that.”
The minister also said institutions should stop
writing J AMB to increase their quotas as there
were relevant agencies to do so.

Adamu also reminded the stakeholders that the
criteria for admission was still in force, and
asked the institutions to adhere to it.
“Merit is 45%, catchment area 35% and
educational development in less developed states
20%, this is for federal universities and for states
universities, merit 40%, catchment 40 % and less
developed local governments get 20%,’’ he said.


The Minister also asked the Joint Admissions
Matriculation Board to stop extra charges on
several categories of changes on admissions
such as the change of course, change of school
and others.

The Registrar of JAMB, Professor Dibu Ojerinde,
while talking to journalists after the meeting,
said institutions were free to go above the 180
benchmark.

“180 benchmark is even, no one will go below it
this year. Universities can go above it. This year,
we have more than enough candidates because
over 1.2 million candidates scored above 180, so
we have enough candidates this year.


“There won’t be any written post-U TME but they
would screen the candidates. It is a necessary
thing to screen the candidates.
‘’We agree and the Minister of Education also
agrees but the issue of taking another
examination is no longer going to happen,” he
said.