Unrealistic policies sending Nigerians to mushroom varsities abroad – JAMB

Unrealistic policies sending Nigerians to mushroom varsities abroad – JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has hit back on its critics over the recent reduction of 2017/2018 admission cut-off points as demanded by the heads of tertiary institutions in the country.

The Board had last week announced the reduction of admission cut-off points for universities from 180 to 120 while that of the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education was pegged at 100.

The new cut-off points were arrived at after extensive deliberation by the Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts among other stakeholders at the Combined Policy meeting organised by JAMB.

Head of Media, JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in a statement said the much trending controversy over the just released cut off marks for 2017 admission exercise by stakeholders at the policy meeting was quite unnecessary.

He said many of the critics of the policy have failed to ask why millions of Nigerians have to leave the country to study in some mushroom universities abroad including Europe and some neighbouring African countries.

He said it was also very misleading to say that Vice-Chancellors rejected the cut off marks, when actually the decision was taken by them after considering various issues affecting admissions into their institutions.

Benjamin, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja said: “Today, we are where we are because many are afraid to say the truth for fear of being condemned rather than being celebrated and set free as commanded by the Holy books.

“This notwithstanding, the Board will not be deterred, we will continue to say the truth as it is and support policies that would bring our education system out of the woods.

“Today it is a known fact that millions of Nigerians are out there schooling in mushroom institutions and they will at the end come back with all kinds of degree certificates that we cannot explain its content. Our naira is continually devalued as a result of so many reasons including the pressure to pay these school’s fees.

“Irrespective of this turn of event in our education history, our tertiary institutions hardly fill their available spaces otherwise known as carrying capacity.

“So, it is obvious that the quest to go abroad for foreign education is not as a result of shortage of spaces or standard given some of the institutions attended by these Nigerians but partly due to some of our policies and attitude to national values and deep concern for realistic benchmarks for national development.

“It’s also a known fact that for you to study a course say Hausa in Nigerian universities, you will need a credit in mathematics, however, when you go outside like in London, all you will need is a credit in Hausa and English, no mathematics.

“Such and so many other poorly thought-out policies have pushed our frustrated candidates out of Nigeria to developed and neighbouring African nations for education they could not get at home.

“The question we all should be concerned about is how to address the flight of Nigerians to glorified secondary schools called universities in Ghana, Uganda and even Gambia and others.

“How do we ensure that whatever we do has positive multiplier effects on other sectors of the economy. If we deny our candidates the opportunity to school in Nigeria they will find their way out and in doing that deplete our economic base.

“To provide answers to all these challenges, stakeholders decided that institutions should be allowed to determine their cut off marks according to their peculiarities and the quality and standard they want to be known for.

“It is expedient to state here that the worst admission cut off mark in a Nigerian institution is far better than allowing them to fly out to some of the institution they are attending out there which we all know are nothing to be proud of.

“Besides events have shown that many institutions do not comply with cut off marks in the past hence the flood of requests for regularisation. Now the new management has resolved to stop it and ensure full compliance with resolutions on cut off marks.

“The Board will equally ensure that it corrects all anomalies existing especially as regards the powers of institutions to make pronouncements on admissions and other related matters affecting the institutions,” he said.

He added that the public should not forget that the Board was a creation of the demands of the then Vice Chancellors for a central institution that will streamline the process of admission and eliminate multiplicity of entrance examination and admissions.

Fabian, said in view of this mandate, the Board would confine itself to this provisions especially the conduct of examinations and release of results to the institutions.

He said: “Again, it is necessary to explain that the 120 mark does not in any way suggest that once you have 120 then admission is sure for you. Institutions will admit from the top to the least mark.

“We are now starting the actually monitoring of adherence to admissions guide lines, cut off marks inclusive. The cut off marks being branded by the public as previous cut off mark were never strictly followed by most institutions.

“Institutions were going behind to admit candidates with far less with others admitting candidates who never sat for JAMB. This act to say the least is very distasteful and damaging to our national data and identity.

“Unfortunately the public has been kept away from this fact for such a long time and now that we are saying it the way it is and working to address it, the public is criticising us using non existing parameters that were only announced and not followed.

“In years past admission were done with worst cut off marks. We are determined and ready to correct all these with the 2017 exercise, the Board has designed a Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) to check back door admission and other unwholesome practices associated with admission.

“We are sure that the system will bring out the good in us as it will also make provision for candidates to track their admission,” he said.