JAMB massive failure: Whose fault?

This year, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) altered with the system and conduct of its examination, as it usually starts between February to mid of March. But this year it started in May and ended the same month.  One could recall that a motion was moved last year by the Senate, seeking to […]

This year, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) altered with the system and conduct of its examination, as it usually starts between February to mid of March. But this year it started in May and ended the same month. 

One could recall that a motion was moved last year by the Senate, seeking to reduce the financial cost relating to UTME exams and extending its validity to 3 years. Some of the recommendations were not adopted by JAMB. 

Though there’s no any official statistics result released so far, but this year’s massive failure is devastating. Out of every 10 students, hardly you find one crossing the usual score cut-off point. Universities cut-off point starts from 180 and a good percentage of JAMBites are swinging below the benchmark. What the government is planning to do with these failed students? Is it really from the performance of the students or the system? Would the student have passed the UTME exams if it weren’t the CBT? Or was it a deliberate move by the board to make it difficult for the students to attain the cut-off point due to the lack of vacancies to admit the students into Nigerian universities? 

Rumors have been circulating that the authorities are going to add 40 marks to each student as it happened last year, some students that score below average were given such privileges. This is laughable, how on earth could marks be added to students from nowhere? The students should not delude themselves, though I am not an academician but I know marks are not granted anyhow. 

Nobody is making this massive failure an issue neither the print media, social media, CSOs nor government. Their children need not to write any JAMB or its equivalent to attend universities as they are being sponsored to study abroad. We, the children of the masses, are the ones struggling to make a difference. 

There is a need to revisit the examination result by the board, its conduct and procedure should be equally cross-checked. What led to this catastrophe must be established to Nigerians and those students, because in the history of UTME this would be counted as the worst ever. Where are these students going since they could not be admitted? Youths are the future, but their fate is being played with. The social media, civil service organizations should speak on behalf of us not on matters that are irrelevant to our development.

This year, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) altered with the system and conduct of its examination, as it usually starts between February to mid of March. But this year it started in May and ended the same month. 

One could recall that a motion was moved last year by the Senate, seeking to reduce the financial cost relating to UTME exams and extending its validity to 3 years. Some of the recommendations were not adopted by JAMB. 

Though there’s no any official statistics result released so far, but this year’s massive failure is devastating. Out of every 10 students, hardly you find one crossing the usual score cut-off point. Universities cut-off point starts from 180 and a good percentage of JAMBites are swinging below the benchmark. What the government is planning to do with these failed students? Is it really from the performance of the students or the system? Would the student have passed the UTME exams if it weren’t the CBT? Or was it a deliberate move by the board to make it difficult for the students to attain the cut-off point due to the lack of vacancies to admit the students into Nigerian universities? 

Rumors have been circulating that the authorities are going to add 40 marks to each student as it happened last year, some students that score below average were given such privileges. This is laughable, how on earth could marks be added to students from nowhere? The students should not delude themselves, though I am not an academician but I know marks are not granted anyhow. 

Nobody is making this massive failure an issue neither the print media, social media, CSOs nor government. Their children need not to write any JAMB or its equivalent to attend universities as they are being sponsored to study abroad. We, the children of the masses, are the ones struggling to make a difference. 

There is a need to revisit the examination result by the board, its conduct and procedure should be equally cross-checked. What led to this catastrophe must be established to Nigerians and those students, because in the history of UTME this would be counted as the worst ever. Where are these students going since they could not be admitted? Youths are the future, but their fate is being played with. The social media, civil service organizations should speak on behalf of us not on matters that are irrelevant to our development.

 

Yusuf Da’awah, Kano.