Yobe State Has Zero Cut Off Mark For Federal School Entrance Exam

The 104 Federal Government Colleges, aka Unity Schools, were established to unify the country through interaction by pupils from various parts of the country. This laudable aim is far from being attained as the schools are evolving into regional based colleges. KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE, ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA and CLARICE AZUATALAM report.

MANY parents believe so much in the Federal Government Colleges (FGCs), aka Unity Schools. They do everything possible to get their children into these schools.

The Nation visited FGC Ijanikin, Queen's College, Yaba, FGC, Enugu, FGC, Jos, FGC, Ikole-Ekiti, FGGC, Efon-Alaye, King's College, Lagos, Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba, FGC, Awka, FGGC, Calabar, FGGC, Abuloma, FGC, Umuahia, and FGGC, Ipetumodu, where many of the principals and teachers told our reporters to direct their queries to the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja.

The National Examinations Council (NECO) conducts the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into the 104 single sex and co-educational colleges. Each state is assigned cut-off points based on performance of its candidates in the examination.

The states with the largest number of good scores have higher cut-off points than others.

For instance, while Anambra was assigned a cut-off of 136, Imo, 135, Abia, 128, and Delta, 126; educationally-disadvantaged states like Kebbi had 35, Jigawa, 33, Taraba, 29, Sokoto, 27 and Yobe, zero.

At the beginning of every session, when new Junior Secondary School (JSS1) and Senior School (SS1) pupils are admitted, principals are bombarded with requests for admission by parents who keep vigil in their offices daily. Many among the parents usually do not understand why their children are not taken on the merit list though they made better scores than others from less performing states.

A parent, who did not want to be named, decried the situation, saying quality was sacrificed on the altar of quota – given that a pupil who scored above 140 was not admitted while candidates from states with zero cut-off point were admitted.

The Principal of King's College, Lagos, Otunba Dele Olapeju, denied his claim. He said none of the candidates admitted scored zero, rather the colleges admit based on levels of merit.

"What we do in selecting candidates admitted on state and environmental bases is to pick those with the best scores that applied from each state. At King's College, we admitted three candidates from each state. None of the candidates scored zero. Why Yobe had a cut-off of zero is because if 80 candidates are supposed to be admitted by all the Unity Schools nationwide and only 60 applied, then it means all of them will be admitted so it negates the cut-off," he said.

He said if merit alone was employed the Unity Schools would not achieve federal character.

"For instance in the last examination out of 6,000 candidates that made the national cut-off, Anambra State had the lion's share. Between Imo and Anambra, they took a sixth of the national merit. You cannot blame them for being brilliant. However, if all Anambra candidates are admitted there will be no unity colleges," he said.

Despite all states having slots in each college, pupils no longer travel from all over the country to attend the colleges. Teachers said those admitted from the North into schools in other regions do not honour the admission. In almost all cases, they said those that do, have their parents living or working in the environment.

A teacher at the Federal Government Girls' College (FGGC), Calabar, Cross River State, blamed this trend on the insecurity in the country.

"The problem now is the response. It is not all candidates of students offered admission that accept it. In the past you could have students from all the states, but you cannot get that now because of the situation in the country. Someone in Akwa Ibom State now would not let his children go to Maiduguri, Borno State capital, and vice versa, so that is really a problem."

It is the same story at the Federal Government College (FGC), Ijanikin, Lagos. The Principal, Mrs Oyewole-Ibukun, said: "What happens is that we don't usually get candidates from the North in this region. I'm not talking about this school alone but in the entire South, though I don't know why this is so. But I can tell you I received a candidate from Yobe State who scored 156."

Rather than reflecting the whole country, the Unity Schools attract pupils mainly from the geo-political zone where they are. For instance, at Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Awka, Anambra State, most of the pupils admitted are from the Southeast; the outsiders, especially from the North or western states are those born in the state.

A teacher at the FSTC, Yaba, Lagos said when quotas of some states are empty, they are filled with pupils from other states.

"Most of them that were registered as northern pupil's are not actually from the North. Probably, they are northerners by birth but their parents are based here in Lagos. My own children were registered as North's candidates while they are not just to make up the quota."

A source at the FGGC Abuloma, Port Harcourt, River State also said if a particular state, say Yobe, is given about 15 slots and at the end only two from that state turn up, the remaining slots would be left for the principal and senior teachers to fill up with their own persons.

"Getting admission through this connection means that money must exchange hands. If the leg of a parent whose child is on merit list is not strong, the child might even be dropped," the source said.

Another source said a parent was forced to give up his child's admission because he could not pay the N100,000 demanded by the school authority.

The pressure that teachers face during the admission process is so tough that some principals avoid their offices or bar visitors. A teacher at FGC, Ikole-Ekiti, said teachers generally find it rough during admission period such that those with tendencies for high BP are especially miserable during the season as even candidates with critically low marks demand attention and seek pity.

"When he couldn't meet up, he had to give up the admission," the source said.

In terms of the ability of pupils admitted with less-than-excellent scores to cope with the academic demands of the colleges, many of the teachers said they ultimately adapt and even excel.

A teacher at the FGGC, Oyo, said because a candidate comes from an educationally disadvantaged state does not mean he or she would be dull academically.

He said: "Dullness and brilliance are not peculiar to any state or group. Just as we have some pupils from Southwest repeating classes here, so we have them from other regions. The 'equity of states' consideration is just to allow the admission process to open access to all qualified candidate irrespective of where they hail from. They always blend. They cope eventually because their mates drive them inadvertently. The environment helps them blend; after a session or two you will hardly notice when they are graduating."

The ability of children from such backgrounds to improve is also helped by extra efforts by their teachers. A teacher at FGC, Ijanikin said poor pupils are encouraged to improve.

"In this school, we do not believe in advising poor students to withdraw. We (teachers) always take such situation as a challenge and put in our best until such a child improves," the source said.

Another source at King's College, Lagos attested to this fact.

He said: "I taught at Queen's College, Yaba for 15 years and we once had a girl who could not speak a word of English. The principal at that time, asked me to interpret when she asked how she was admitted. The girl said she was just told by her father that she was going to Lagos.

The next day, the principal called the head of the English Department and told her that if the school is, indeed, a change agent let this girl be a test case. She mandated the teacher to ensure that the girl became like the rest of the girls by the end of three months, and it was so."

http://channelkoos.com/index.php/news/3506-yobe-state-has-zero-cut-off-mark-for-federal-school-entrance-exam

Now, this is what you call investigative journalism.
@OP, did you notice why Nigeria is backward--quota system, or Fed Character, as they call it. If I know as a candidate that with quota sympathy I'd be granted admission whatever my score, even if it's naught, why would I study hard? We tie our tail onto a tree and we're hopping up hoping to move forward.
Let every child slog it out with their fellows and let merit, and only merit prevail. Am not sure this is one of those things we copy from US and UK.
God bless Nigeria and Nigerians

this is outrageously funny and disheartning.

and we wonder why the country is like this.

1MCN: Now, this is what you call investigative journalism.
@OP, did you notice why Nigeria is backward--quota system, or Fed Character, as they call it. If I know as a candidate that with quota sympathy I'd be granted admission whatever my score, even if it's naught, why would I study hard? We tie our tail onto a tree and we're hopping up hoping to move forward.
Let every child slog it out with their fellows and let merit, and only merit prevail. Am not sure this is one of those things we copy from US and UK.
God bless Nigeria and Nigerians

Unfortunately, we copy this process from the United State where it is called Affirmative action.

percipi1:

Unfortunately, we copy this process from the United State where it is called Affirmative action.

unfortunately we basterdize every thing.

Anybody who thinks a major problem this country has is not 'being together as one country' should have his head checked.

phantom: Anybody who thinks a major problem this country has is not 'being together as one country' should have his head checked.

one wonders why anambra,imo,abia and delta should have highest cut off marks.

asha 80: one wonders why anambra,imo,abia and delta should have highest cut off marks.

beats me! I wonder If these people even realize that the quota system is not in their best interest.it does not help them.they cant develop with it and the funny thing is the average northerner is very intelligent.the educated ones are most of the time the best in their fields.finally all roads still lead to their religion.no apologies.

Anambra, Imo, Delta and Abia just stay repping. JAMB statistics keep proving this; literacy rates keep proving this, and international acheivements keep proving this.

Yet, some people find it a bitter pill to swallow, the fact that the most intelligent Nigerians are in the SE/SS.
Repeatedly, they try to manufacture lies they can sing to themselves so as to help them sleep better at night. But even that has become increasingly difficult for their fragile hearts

No amount of crayon professors can change the truth.

Ejiné: Anambra, Imo, Delta and Abia just stay repping. JAMB statistics keep proving this; literacy rates keep proving this, and international acheivements keep proving this.

Yet, some people find it a bitter pill to swallow, the fact that the most intelligent Nigerians are in the SE/SS.
Repeatedly, they try to manufacture lies they can sing to themselves so as to help them sleep better at night. But even that has become increasingly difficult for their fragile hearts

No amount of crayon professors can change the truth.

coulda sworn i had a sugary taste in mouth as i read this post.

Ejiné: Anambra, Imo, Delta and Abia just stay repping. JAMB statistics keep proving this; literacy rates keep proving this, and international acheivements keep proving this.

Yet, some people find it a bitter pill to swallow, the fact that the most intelligent Nigerians are in the SE/SS.
Repeatedly, they try to manufacture lies they can sing to themselves so as to help them sleep better at night. But even that has become increasingly difficult for their fragile hearts

No amount of crayon professors can change the truth.

it is either those states have the highest number of indigines going to schools or they have have the highest number of indigenes living in the country.

I posted this without a comment because I wanted to see the reactions!

Well, this is is the kind of topic that wont get attention!
Had it been I posted a topic that says, "2000 PDP members in Kano defects to CPC", not only will the comments hit the roofs of Nairaland, it would had hit the front page.

Yet, this are the very fundamental issues that has made Nigeria a failure.

Why can't my children have equal rights with other children?

A child that scored 130 would be denied admission while another child that scored 30 in the same exam is offered admission! In times like this, I remember the last application I wrote in this country. It was to NLNG Bonny. We were asked to write our state of origin at the back of our application envelops. It was the last I ever wrote and decided to fend for myself. I have learnt that there are two kinds of Nigerians! Those who are paid if they agree to go school and those who sell their fathers land to go to school.

This is evil! We are salves and foreigners in our fathers land? For how long shall this continue?
Yet we have politicians in Abuja. We have governors! Shame on you all!

I keep wondering why our people love this slavery! What are we afraid of? It is time to reject Nigeria and head home to Biafra!

i should be ashamed if my state is regarded as an educationally disadvantaged state.

The things that are missing in nigerian education are interactive and cognitive education. Children are only taught to read,write,copy and paste,without hints of how practical problems could be solved through the use of IQ and initiatives. And that explains why there are too much emphasis on examinations,why children are taught in piggries and poultrys called schools and why the final products do turn out to be unproductive thieves in Nigeria.

The mentors themselves lack initiatives and the same nemesis they pass on to the children.

It is time we start using common sense in our schools rather than oyinbo teach us nonsense.

redsun: The things that are missing in nigerian education are interactive and cognitive education. Children are only taught to read,write,copy and paste,without hints of how practical problems could be solved through the use of IQ and initiatives. And that explains why there are too much emphasis on examinations,why children are taught in piggries and poultrys called schools in Nigeria. The mentors themselves lack initiatives and the same nemesis they pass on to the children.

It is time we start using common sense in our schools rather than oyinbo teach us nonsense.

exactly.

" out of 6,000 candidates that made the national cut-off, Anambra State had the lion's share."


The above comment coming from the examination body can only mean one thing. That Obi has pursued education vigorously. Equiping schools with computers and modern libraries and above all raising the standard of education to another level.

Generally SE is remains tops as Imo, Delta and Abia equally taking prime places immediately behind Anambra. Tomorrow yerobas will claim they are this and that.

Wonders why a topic like this hasn't made the front page !!

chino11: " out of 6,000 candidates that made the national cut-off, Anambra State had the lion's share."


The above comment coming from the examination body can only mean one thing. That Obi has pursued education vigorously. Equiping schools with computers and modern libraries and above all raising the standard of education to another level.

Generally SE is remains tops as Imo, Delta and Abia equally taking prime places immediately behind Anambra. Tomorrow yerobas will claim they are this and that.

Wonders why a topic like this hasn't made the front page !!

Hit front page? Which front page are you talking about?
If you want topics that will hit front page, bring up titles like:

"Amechi vows to quit PDP"
"Buhari weeps"
"Boko Haram carpets Jonathan"
"Tonto Dike seen at Mr. Biggs (With pictures)"

Lest I forget, in a country where a child who scored 120/200 is denied admission while another who scored 20 is admitted simply because of where they originate from, no body should complain when we stand on Biafra!

This is actually the cruse of the matter.!

It is a shame. Topic as informative as this did not go beyond one page in comments. I doubt if it also made the FP!