Despite stiff opposition by the National
Assembly against the conduct of Post-Universal Tertiary Matriculation
Examination (UTME) test for candidates by Nigerian universities, the
federal government at the weekend insisted that the process must
continue for now.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqqayyatu Rufa’i, who made government’s position known in Ilorin, Kwara State , said government was not contemplating scraping the post-UTME test on the grounds that, the country should be particularly interested in quality.
He added that “quality is what everybody is emphasising now.”
Rufa’i, who spoke with journalists shortly after commissioning some projects at the University of llorin, noted that in doing this, government would not lose sight of the fact that there must be equity in admission processes.
She said, “But definitely, our mission is to ensure that quality cuts across the entire sector. So, that is why when we say that post-UTME test, at least for now, is something that we should continue. I feel that the issue of ensuring quality is one thing we should be interested in. JAMB is our product. Also, it is our baby and part of us. We are proud of what JAMB is doing.
“At least, if universities are going to admit 5,000 students, 3,000 may have applied and through JAMB we may have about 800 or so. So, you can have fewer people coming in, but each of the universities also have imbedded in their own Act to now have a say in which candidate they actually admit. So, it is very technical. Definitely, I am sure the senators are also looking into this.”
On the issue of mass failure of candidates in public examinations, such as the GCE and NECO, Rufa’i who observed that the problem was for all stakeholders in the education sector to resolve, hinted that there would be a stakeholders’ forum where the desirability or otherwise of Post-UTME test would be determined.
The minister said, “Each year, we are having a little increase and it is not enough. We cannot say we have passed. But what we are doing, and that is why we are talking of quality, is that, apart from making people realise that everybody is responsible for it, it is not only the federal ministry of education; it is not only the states, parents or the students.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqqayyatu Rufa’i, who made government’s position known in Ilorin, Kwara State , said government was not contemplating scraping the post-UTME test on the grounds that, the country should be particularly interested in quality.
He added that “quality is what everybody is emphasising now.”
Rufa’i, who spoke with journalists shortly after commissioning some projects at the University of llorin, noted that in doing this, government would not lose sight of the fact that there must be equity in admission processes.
She said, “But definitely, our mission is to ensure that quality cuts across the entire sector. So, that is why when we say that post-UTME test, at least for now, is something that we should continue. I feel that the issue of ensuring quality is one thing we should be interested in. JAMB is our product. Also, it is our baby and part of us. We are proud of what JAMB is doing.
“At least, if universities are going to admit 5,000 students, 3,000 may have applied and through JAMB we may have about 800 or so. So, you can have fewer people coming in, but each of the universities also have imbedded in their own Act to now have a say in which candidate they actually admit. So, it is very technical. Definitely, I am sure the senators are also looking into this.”
On the issue of mass failure of candidates in public examinations, such as the GCE and NECO, Rufa’i who observed that the problem was for all stakeholders in the education sector to resolve, hinted that there would be a stakeholders’ forum where the desirability or otherwise of Post-UTME test would be determined.
The minister said, “Each year, we are having a little increase and it is not enough. We cannot say we have passed. But what we are doing, and that is why we are talking of quality, is that, apart from making people realise that everybody is responsible for it, it is not only the federal ministry of education; it is not only the states, parents or the students.
CULLED FROM http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/7155/2011/10/24/no_going_back_post-utme_-_fg.html
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