JAMB Candidates’ Dwindling Performance
THE Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, at its 19th Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria has approved one hundred and sixty as the benchmark for admission for the year 2019/2020 into public universities.
THE meeting held in Gbongan, Osun State also approved 140 as minimum score for admission into private universities.
FOR public polytechnics, 120 was approved, while 110 was approved as the least score for admission into private polytechnics and 100 for public and private Colleges of Education.
THESE approved scores, to say the least, depict sad commentaries on the level of our education, which has been struggling for breath for a long time.
THE approved scores announced by Registrar of the Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, is the least cut-off mark for admission to tertiary institutions in history. It is unfortunate that the level of our education in the country is nose diving every year and our policy makers seem helpless at finding solutions to it.
THAT a score of 160 out of the maximum 400 is the cut-off mark for university admission and 140 for private university, while polytechnic and other related institutions will do with 120 and 100 marks respectively, is ridiculous. The decision is a mockery of our fallen standard of education in Nigeria.The declaration has further shown loss of direction by JAMB.
THE result amply attests to the poor performance of the students in the examination. The result is not only poor, but it has shown glaringly that our students don’t take education seriously any longer.
IF out of 1.8million candidates that sat for the exam, only 300,000 representing 35 percent scored above 200, it shows that students seeking admission into higher institutions in Nigeria are of poor and low qualities.
DESPITE mock examination conducted by the board for candidates to prepare them for the examination, it is quite a pity that over 70 percent still scored below 200. By implication, with the cut-off marks approved, JAMB has approved that students with 25 and 35 percent scores should be admitted into polytechnics and universities respectively.
IF the intention is to allow as many candidates as possible to be admitted into tertiary institutions in Nigeria, the intention is not a noble one. It gives room to institutionalised laziness at the detriment of hardwork and competence.
WE believe that it is better to make students sit for the exam and pass with good marks, rather than admitting them into our universities with low grades. Things are already bad, it should not be made worse in the country. University education is global and Nigeria could not be seen going below the required standard.
JAMB cannot approve this cut-off mark for admission without any backlash. The board shouldn’t because it wants to fill quota in the universities lower the standard. The end result will not only be unpalatable, it would add more to already bad standard of education in Nigeria.
WITH the official decision to further demean university and polytechnic admission in the country, it won’t be ideal for any body to complain that Nigerian graduates are not competitive in the labour market.
THE HOPE is therefore of the opinion that students should face squarely their studies and change their attitude to learning. Looking for miracle and help during examination(s) will not take them far, rather the ignoble act will subject them to shame and contempt. There is glory in hard work.
WE advise that a concerted effort and campaign be mounted to discourage Nigerians’ craze for wealth. Our position is that the craze for wealth is a contributory factor to fall in standard of education, as youths have relegated learning and reading to looking for money.
ALSO educational experts should do content analysis of the educational curriculum with a view to reviewing them. Our position is that those that are not needed should be jettisoned.
