By Saheed Ibrahim
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Some blind candidates for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination (UTME) have appealed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Nigerian universities not to make Mathematics a compulsory subject for them.
They said most of them usually have difficulty in calculations, particularly with speed, hence their inability to perform well in the subject.
They said it would be better if the subject is optional for those not pursuing science or engineering-related courses.
Three hundred and thirty seven visually impaired candidates were among the 1.6 million candidates for the nationwide examination.
Just like their mates, the visually impaired candidates were assessed in 20 subjects, including the Use of English Language and Mathematics, with each sitting for four subjects applicable to their proposed courses of study.
But unlike their regular counterparts, who sit for all their four papers at once, visually impaired candidates sit for their papers per subject and a group of professors and special education experts known as JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) is saddled with the responsibility of the conduct of the exam for them.
While supervising the candidates in Lagos, JEOG Chairman, Prof. Peter Okebukola, said JAMB would start to migrate from the current mode of exam for visually impaired candidates to a full- CBT customized mode from next year.
He said JAMB gave special consideration to the special students to ensure that no qualified Nigerian is denied the opportunity to sit for UTME and gain admission, irrespective of disability.
He revealed that 132 of the 364 visually impaired candidates, who sat the exam in 2022, gained admission into various tertiary institutions.
However, some candidates commended JAMB for the special treatment, saying it encouraged many of them to pursue higher education rather than begging.
