SOME Vice-Chancellors and the Academic Staff
Union of Universities have rejected the decision
of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board
to peg admission cut-off mark at 120 for
universities and 100 for polytechnics,
monotechnics and colleges of education.
ASUU said the action, which it described as a
“sad policy decision,” was in tandem “with the
dream of the present government to destroy
public universities in the country.
Most of the vice-chancellors our correspondents
interviewed on the issue maintained that they
would not lower admission standards in their
respective varsities.
The vice-chancellors stated that the decision
would add no value to the nation’s university
system.
For instance, in a statement issued by the Vice-
Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Idowu
Olayinka, on the issue and released by his Media
Assistant, Mr. Sunday Saanu, on Thursday, the
premier university stated that it would never
admit any candidate that scored 120 in the
UTME.
The statement added, “It should worry us as
patriots that candidates who scored just 30 per
cent in the UTME can be admitted into some of
our universities.
Yet, we complain of poor quality of our
graduates. You can hardly build something on
nothing. The consolation here is that since
JAMB started conducting this qualifying exam in
1978, UI has never admitted any candidate who
scored less than 200 marks out of the maximum
400 marks.
“This translates to a minimum of 50 per cent.
This remains our position as an institution
aspiring to be world-class. Reality is that only
about four other universities in the country have
such high standard. To that extent, apart from
being the oldest, we are an elite university in the
country at least judging by the quality of our
intakes.’’
Olayinka, however, commended the decision of
the Federal Government to re-introduce the
post-UTME test and exonerated the incumbent
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, from the
cancellation of the test two sessions ago.
“It is gratifying to note that the Honourable
Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu,
who chaired the meeting, apologised publicly for
canceling the post-UTME screening last year.
“In effect, universities are now allowed to
conduct the test using modalities approved by
the Senate of each institution.
“To be fair to the incumbent Registrar of JAMB,
he was not the Registrar when the policy
somersault of cancelling the post-UTME test
was made last year. As strongly canvassed by
us at every opportunity, for UI, the need to admit
the best admission seekers is the primary
motivation for the test and not money, even
though we do not pretend that you can run any
university so properly called without funds.”
Speaking to one of our correspondents on
Thursday, the Vice-Chancellor, Tai Solarin
University of Education, Ogun State, Prof.
Oluyemisi Obilade, said that the onus would
ultimately fall on parents and employers of
labour to decide “between a first-class graduate
of a university which takes 120 as its cut-off
mark or one that takes 180 as its cut-off mark.’’
Obilade, who said that TASUED would never go
below 180, insisted that many of the VCs at the
Combined Policy Meeting during which the 120
benchmark decision was made, said they would
not go below 180.
She said, “But some universities chose 120 at
the meeting. What the JAMB has done is to
transfer power back to the Senate of universities
to decide their cut-off marks.
What I can tell you is that many public
universities and even private universities will not
go below 200.
We were told that some universities were doing
what they called ‘under the table admission’ and
then come back to JAMB after four years for
regularisation.
“TASUED will not go below 180, not under my
watch. Even in the United States, there is what
we call Ivy League universities, and there are
those you can call ‘Next Level Universities.’
There are also those that are termed community
colleges.
At the meeting, the outcome is that universities
have been given the freedom to decide. It is not
general legislation and it is not binding on
everybody.’’
Speaking with journalists in Ibadan, the
Chairman of ASUU at the University of Ibadan,
Dr. Deji Omole, said it was the dream of the
present government to destroy education in the
country.
He said, “Rather than sanctioning the identified
universities that admitted over 17,000 students
illegally, the JAMB registrar simply regularised
illegality and lowered cut-off marks to favour
the interests of the friends of government who
own private universities and are hell bent on
destroying public education.”
Omole said it was vital for JAMB to be scrapped
in order to save the nation’s education and its
future. He said the board had outlived its
usefulness and that prospective students should
apply directly to universities of their choice for
admission.
He said, “Where are the students that the JAMB
registrar said entered universities illegally?
Which universities admitted them?
If 30 per cent did not take JAMB and found their
way into the university system, is that not
corruption and a message that JAMB is not
significant anymore? What sanction did those
who did the illegal thing receive other than
regularisation of illegality.
“We are watching because long before now we
have said that JAMB has outlived its usefulness.
Let the Universities set their unique standards
and those who are qualified can come in.
Scoring 120 out of 400 marks is 30 per cent.
Even in those days, 40 per cent was graded as
pass. But now JAMB said with F9 which is
scoring 30 per cent you can be admitted.
“They deliberately want to destroy education.
Even for polytechnic, 100 marks is 25 per cent.
It is sad.
And that is where we are in Nigeria. They want
to destroy public education at all costs.
This is not setting standard for education in
Nigeria. It is purely lowering standards and
digging grave for the future. This is why ASUU is
currently on the struggle to influence the
government to do the needful for education in
Nigeria.”
Also, the Dean of Students Affairs, Federal
University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Kayode
Alese, who spoke on behalf of FUTA
management, said that the institution would
soon unveil its cut-off mark.
“However, I can assure you that FUTA has never
gone as low as 120. It has never happened and
it will never happen,” he said.
Alese added, “Having spoken for the university,
my personal opinion is that the 120 cut-off mark
will not add value to our education system.
The Federal Government has just increased the
pass mark from 40 to 45 in universities.
What that means is that you must score at least
45 for you to pass any course. We have enough
candidates and yes you may try to increase
access but tertiary education should be for those
who have the capability.’’
Also, the Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo
University, Prof. Tope Ogunmodede, said the
institution would not admit any candidate with
120 UTME score.
He said, “Traditionally, OAU has never admitted
students who scored below 200 in the UTME.
For us, we are sticking to 200.
The minimum benchmark is 120 but you can go
higher than that.
I expect that an institution should be able to
determine the quality of its graduates because
there are internal exams. What has been done is
to provide a leeway for universities to decide
their cut-off marks.”
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian
Students has described the reduction of the cut-
off marks for admission into tertiary institutions
as “a gross misplacement of priority and an
exercise in futility.”
The organisation said that the reduction by
JAMB, from 180 for universities and 165
polytechnics, to 120 and 100 respectively for the
2017 UTME, would translate to a disastrous
outcome in the future.
The President of NANS, Chinonso Obasi, in a
statement on Thursday, threatened that the
decision would be resisted if JAMB refused to
adhere to the status quo.
He said, “As critical stakeholders in the
educational sector, NANS will vehemently resist
the review and call on government to maintain
the status quo and endeavour to conduct a
comparative study and analysis of policies from
other climes that support functional learning and
production of young people that can compete
with their peers globally.
“Even with the current status, the general
phenomenon is that Nigerian graduates are not
employable.
The lowering of standards will translate to a
disastrous outcome in the future by churning
out young people who cannot fit into the
demands and expectations of the 21st century.’’
According to him, since the 21st century is being
driven by innovation and competitiveness,
lowering the entry level into tertiary institutions
would only further contribute to reducing the
productivity and peak performance of young
people seeking admission into the country’s
higher institutions of learning.
However, the Vice-Chancellor of the Christopher
University, Ogun State, Prof. Friday Ndubuisi,
said the new admission benchmark would have
no negative implication on the quality of
education.
He said, “This is not an imposition. The cut-off
mark is a minimum benchmark for admission.
This idea of taking the UTME every year without
getting admission is worrying. About 1.6 million
candidates sat for the examination this year and
about 500,000 will be admitted mostly because
of the cut-off mark.
MSOME Vice-Chancellors and the Academic
Staff Union of Universities have rejected the
decision of the Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board to peg admission cut-off
mark at 120 for universities and 100 for
polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of
education.
ASUU said the action, which it described as a
“sad policy decision,” was in tandem “with the
dream of the present government to destroy
public universities in the country.”
Most of the vice-chancellors our correspondents
interviewed on the issue maintained that they
would not lower admission standards in their
respective varsities.
The vice-chancellors stated that the decision
would add no value to the nation’s university
system.
For instance, in a statement issued by the Vice-
Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Idowu
Olayinka, on the issue and released by his Media
Assistant, Mr. Sunday Saanu, on Thursday, the
premier university stated that it would never
admit any candidate that scored 120 in the
UTME.
The statement added, “It should worry us as
patriots that candidates who scored just 30 per
cent in the UTME can be admitted into some of
our universities.
Yet, we complain of poor quality of our
graduates. You can hardly build something on
nothing.
The consolation here is that since JAMB started
conducting this qualifying exam in 1978, UI has
never admitted any candidate who scored less
than 200 marks out of the maximum 400 marks.
“This translates to a minimum of 50 per cent.
This remains our position as an institution
aspiring to be world-class.
Reality is that only about four other universities
in the country have such high standard. To that
extent, apart from being the oldest, we are an
elite university in the country at least judging by
the quality of our intakes."
Olayinka, however, commended the decision of
the Federal Government to re-introduce the
post-UTME test and exonerated the incumbent
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, from the
cancellation of the test two sessions ago.
“It is gratifying to note that the Honourable
Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu,
who chaired the meeting, apologised publicly for
canceling the post-UTME screening last year.
“In effect, universities are now allowed to
conduct the test using modalities approved by
the Senate of each institution.
“To be fair to the incumbent Registrar of JAMB,
he was not the Registrar when the policy
somersault of cancelling the post-UTME test
was made last year.
As strongly canvassed by us at every
opportunity, for UI, the need to admit the best
admission seekers is the primary motivation for
the test and not money, even though we do not
pretend that you can run any university so
properly called without funds.”
Speaking to one of our correspondents on
Thursday, the Vice-Chancellor, Tai Solarin
University of Education, Ogun State, Prof.
Oluyemisi Obilade, said that the onus would
ultimately fall on parents and employers of
labour to decide “between a first-class graduate
of a university which takes 120 as its cut-off
mark or one that takes 180 as its cut-off mark.’
Obilade, who said that TASUED would never go
below 180, insisted that many of the VCs at the
Combined Policy Meeting during which the 120
benchmark decision was made, said they would
not go below 180.
She said, “But some universities chose 120 at
the meeting. What the JAMB has done is to
transfer power back to the Senate of universities
to decide their cut-off marks.
What I can tell you is that many public
universities and even private universities will not
go below 200.
We were told that some universities were doing
what they called ‘under the table admission’ and
then come back to JAMB after four years for
regularisation.
“TASUED will not go below 180, not under my
watch. Even in the United States, there is what
we call Ivy League universities, and there are
those you can call ‘Next Level Universities.’
There are also those that are termed community
colleges.
At the meeting, the outcome is that universities
have been given the freedom to decide. It is not
general legislation and it is not binding on
everybody.’’
Speaking with journalists in Ibadan, the
Chairman of ASUU at the University of Ibadan,
Dr. Deji Omole, said it was the dream of the
present government to destroy education in the
country.
He said, “Rather than sanctioning the identified
universities that admitted over 17,000 students
illegally, the JAMB registrar simply regularised
illegality and lowered cut-off marks to favour
the interests of the friends of government who
own private universities and are hell bent on
destroying public education.”
Omole said it was vital for JAMB to be scrapped
in order to save the nation’s education and its
future. He said the board had outlived its
usefulness and that prospective students should
apply directly to universities of their choice for
admission.
He said, “Where are the students that the JAMB
registrar said entered universities illegally?
Which universities admitted them? If 30 per cent
did not take JAMB and found their way into the
university system, is that not corruption and a
message that JAMB is not significant anymore?
What sanction did those who did the illegal thing
receive other than regularisation of illegality.
“We are watching because long before now we
have said that JAMB has outlived its usefulness.
Let the universities set their unique standards
and those who are qualified can come in.
Scoring 120 out of 400 marks is 30 per cent.
Even in those days, 40 per cent was graded as
pass. But now JAMB said with F9 which is
scoring 30 per cent you can be admitted.
“They deliberately want to destroy education.
Even for polytechnic, 100 marks is 25 per cent.
It is sad. And that is where we are in Nigeria.
They want to destroy public education at all
costs. This is not setting standard for education
in Nigeria. It is purely lowering standards and
digging grave for the future. This is why ASUU is
currently on the struggle to influence the
government to do the needful for education in
Nigeria.”
Also, the Dean of Students Affairs, Federal
University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Kayode
Alese, who spoke on behalf of FUTA
management, said that the institution would
soon unveil its cut-off mark.
“However, I can assure you that FUTA has never
gone as low as 120. It has never happened and
it will never happen,” he said.
Alese added, “Having spoken for the university,
my personal opinion is that the 120 cut-off mark
will not add value to our education system. The
Federal Government has just increased the pass
mark from 40 to 45 in universities.
What that means is that you must score at least
45 for you to pass any course. We have enough
candidates and yes you may try to increase
access but tertiary education should be for those
who have the capability.’’
Also, the Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo
University, Prof. Tope Ogunmodede, said the
institution would not admit any candidate with
120 UTME score.
He said, “Traditionally, OAU has never admitted
students who scored below 200 in the UTME.
For us, we are sticking to 200.
The minimum benchmark is 120 but you can go
higher than that.
I expect that an institution should be able to
determine the quality of its graduates because
there are internal exams.
What has been done is to provide a leeway for
universities to decide their cut-off marks.”
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian
Students has described the reduction of the cut-
off marks for admission into tertiary institutions
as “a gross misplacement of priority and an
exercise in futility.”
The organisation said that the reduction by
JAMB, from 180 for universities and 165
polytechnics, to 120 and 100 respectively for the
2017 UTME, would translate to a disastrous
outcome in the future.
The President of NANS, Chinonso Obasi, in a
statement on Thursday, threatened that the
decision would be resisted if JAMB refused to
adhere to the status quo.
He said, “As critical stakeholders in the
educational sector, NANS will vehemently resist
the review and call on government to maintain
the status quo and endeavour to conduct a
comparative study and analysis of policies from
other climes that support functional learning and
production of young people that can compete
with their peers globally.
“Even with the current status, the general
phenomenon is that Nigerian graduates are not
employable. The lowering of standards will
translate to a disastrous outcome in the future
by churning out young people who cannot fit
into the demands and expectations of the 21st
century.’’
According to him, since the 21st century is being
driven by innovation and competitiveness,
lowering the entry level into tertiary institutions
would only further contribute to reducing the
productivity and peak performance of young
people seeking admission into the country’s
higher institutions of learning.
However, the Vice-Chancellor of the Christopher
University, Ogun State, Prof. Friday Ndubuisi,
said the new admission benchmark would have
no negative implication on the quality of
education.
He said, “This is not an imposition. The cut-off
mark is a minimum benchmark for admission.
This idea of taking the UTME every year without
getting admission is worrying. About 1.6 million
candidates sat for the examination this year and
about 500,000 will be admitted mostly because
of the cut-off mark.
Most universities will not go below 200, but with
five credits obtained in two sittings, a person
should be qualified for admission. This is,
however, not an imposition.
Universities still get to decide on whom to admit
through the post-UTME.’ost universities will not
go below 200, but with five credits obtained in
two sittings, a person should be qualified for
admission. This is, however, not an imposition.
Universities still get to decide on whom to admit
through the post-UTME.’
SOURCE: Punchng.com