By Abdussalam Amoo

​The new cut off mark for entry into tertiary institutions announced on Tuesday by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has become a topic of discourse. According to news reports, JAMB and the Vice Chancellors of all Nigerian universities agreed that 120 should be the cut off mark for entrants into universities. For polytechnics and other institutions, it the mark was pegged at 100 minimum.

It has been difficult for many of us understanding the rationale behind the resolution reached by the authorities. For me, I had thought hypothetically that it was another attempt to increase the chances of admission for those from educationally disadvantaged areas in the country. We are not unfamiliar with situations where standards were lowered for admission into unity schools for certain students based on their states of origin.

Perhaps, it was because many candidates performed below expectation in the exams. Most of those I know-of score above 250 marks. But this was an entirely computer-based exam written by many candidates who were perhaps seeing a computer for the first time. Maybe our assumptions were wrong. It would be nice if JAMB could be giving the public a breakdown of candidates’ performance as the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) do every year to help us understand the extent of candidates’ performances in the exams.

However, I learnt that the reason behind resorting to such a low mark was for the sake of ‘equity’. An official present at the meeting pointed out that JAMB lamented situations whereby universities would publicly declare 200, for instance, as cut off mark but would still consider the candidate of one highly placed person who scored lower than that for admission but would deny the son of a nobody admission even when that one scored above the required mark. It was added that JAMB gave each university the free will to determine whichever cut off mark it prefers while ensuring that it does not accept anyone who scores lower than that.

The case of universities admitting those who scored below the cut off point is not new. This is not related to the exceptional cases of educationally disadvantaged areas or catchment areas. I am aware of a private university in Ogun State admitted a student who scored 150 to study Mass Communication despite publicly announcing 180 as its cut off mark. Money doeth it all, some would say. The situation is applicable in many public universities too for those who ‘know the way’. JAMB has promised to check such.

No matter how low JAMB pegs its cut off mark, universities like the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the University of Ibadan (UI) expectedly would not lower their standard for admissions. The two schools have been particularly known for setting the pace. It would be recalled that when JAMB pegged the cut off at 180 over the decades, it was UNILAG which first insisted on 200 as its cut off mark for all courses before some of its contemporaries followed suit years later. It was also the university which first adopted the notion of taking in only those who make it their first choice dubbing it the ‘university of first choice’. The admission screening procedure used in the UI for years and was what the Federal Government instructed universities to adopt last year.

Back to the issue at hand, leaving universities to determine their cut off marks not lower than the proposed 120 marks leaves certain implications. First, it would would worsen the decay in our education system. There are likely to be more university products who cannot favorably compete with their counterparts elsewhere. What do we expect from beneficiaries of mediocrity other than being mediocre? Only the exceptional ones may make a name for themselves.

Also, the situation would put certain universities on the watch. Future employers would care about which university one graduated from, more than ever. Prior to this new development, we have had cases where graduates were being discriminated against on account of the part of the country they earned their degrees. It would just get worse since obviously there is the likelihood that most of the universities to follow the lowered standard in the cut off point would do so in consideration of the indigenes of the said part.

Equally, the notion of superiority of one university over another would be much more pronounced. You can’t compare a graduate who gained admission on the basis of higher merit with that which did on lower merit. This may seem petty but may just lead to some stereotype about certain class of students from certain sets of universities.

We should not forget that a major reason behind the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is the call for improved standard of education. We shouldn’t expect things to get better in our education system if we continue to place low premium on academic excellence. No matter the eventual amount of funding or the extent of the provision of facilities for learning and research in our universities, the requirements of entry for prospective students still count.

source: http://www.opinions.ng/implications-lowered-jamb-cut-off-marks-education-system/

We should not forget that a major reason behind the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is the call for improved standard of education. We shouldn’t expect things to get better in our education system if we continue to place low premium on academic excellence. No matter the eventual amount of funding or the extent of the provision of facilities for learning and research in our universities, the requirements of entry for prospective students still count.

Killer point!!!

You are right , man.
They do not really care about the standard of education any longer.
Thy are desperate to assuage ASUU since they know that more people would now purchase the Post UTME form and funds would be generated off the poor candidates with false hopes.

We still don't know where we are going. From 180 to 120 within just a year is stupidity and it is enough to make people see there is an asinine and ulterior motive attached to that stupid decision.

Nigerians, be wise.

my money is on ASUU to win this year FIFA award due to their incredible strike

Seconded

tayebest:






Killer point!!!

That NUC guy is just a mediocre!
What does he mean setting 120 (30%) as cut off mark for universities? Shame!!!

My name is Psalm. Yes, awkward right? But that’s the name my mamma called me when I was born. My Dad had wanted to call me Job, but my mamma would not have it.

“Have you seen any man called Job that wasn’t a carpenter or a bricklayer” she had fired at my dad. “All the people wey dey answer Job na so so suffer suffer!” Mamma certainly hadn’t heard of Steve Jobs (well, after he moved out of the garage). Plus my oldman had suffered much, having lived from hand to mouth since he lost his job thirty years ago, yet his name wasn’t Job. So there was more to suffering than being called an ordinary name.

“Let’s call him David” my momma had suggested. “It is simple and short. And remember he killed Goliath.”

“David? The man who stole another man’s wife? I can’t call my son David. All the people wey dey answer David too like woman!”


Mamma had thought of it and the lives of a few people bearing David in my neighbourhood had been enough to convince her. In fact two days before I was named, two married men had fought over a woman on the street, and they were both called David.

After much dilly dallying, they called me Psalm. Popsy wasn’t so excited about the name; David and Psalm were like Bobrisky and bleaching – One and the same. But in the end he accepted it. So that was how I got my name, one would think after all the hair-splitting deliberations that gave birth to my name, my name would at least bring me luck. Far from it. I don suffer pass nyash. Yes. I have been peed on, shit on, sat on and what not…

Yesterday was the day kasala burst for my head. I was on my way to an interview. Since 5 years wey I graduate, bros, I never see real job. But that yesterday, something told me that was the end of my job search. My girlfriend had linked me to a friend that had friend who was the GM in a manufacturing company. When I contacted the so called GM, he picked the phone and answered me like a vampire had given him a Mouth Gig.

“Who be rat? He spat out.

“It’s me Psalm. A friend of Sarah, who is a friend to Akpan, your good friend. He said you are the GM of Green food Industries.”

I could hear him chuckling on the other end.

“Werin you wan make I ju for you?” he replied. I was already getting pissed.

“I want to submit my CV to your company. I was told you could help me get a job”

“Bring am tomorrow, I go help you give the GM”

“Are you not the GM?

“Bro e be like say you never ready. I be the Gateman, your friend no tell your friend to tell your friend to tell you?

My jaw dropped. But I had no choice; I tidied my white shirt and dusted my CV. I must get that job the next day…

As early as 8 AM the next day, I set out. My gf had made a delicious afang soup the other night. I quickly heated four wraps of fufu, devoured it and left feeling like a bouncer. It had rained the other night and the bad roads were still muddy. I did my best to avoid reckless drivers from splashing dirty water on me. My best, as usual, was not enough.

A man in a black prado Jeep zoomed past, emptying a pot hole of muddy water on me. I did what any other frustrated man would do.


I boarded a bike and chased after him. Who knows, he could settle me with something tangible. The okadaman was a skillful rider but the prado guy had no chill. After five minutes, I spotted his car parked right in front of my babe’s apartment. Fear catch me like politician wey receive alert from Dasuki. I paid off the bike man and cautiously peeped into my girlfriend’s one room apartment. What I saw shocked me.

The story continues in the next sequel GIRLS AINT LOYAL

Okay

tayebest:





Killer point!!!

Thirded

They just elevated mediocrity above our educational standard

REPENT NOW OF YOUR SINFUL EVIL WAYS TO AVOID SPENDING YOUR ETERNITY IN HELL FIRE WHEN YOU DIE....JESUS CHRIST LOVES AND WARN YOU TO REPENT AND CONVERT NOW TO CHRISTIANITY TO AVOID HELL FIRE... You are not a mistake creature God specially made you to be with Him here and in eternity in heavenly paradise... Be wise avoid hell.

It's a hoax

RIPEnglish:
The country is ran by a fulani and other northerner illiterate so we can expected the worse to came to happened.

Kai, gaaskiya, I am not understanding your iglisi

Not my business

I expect ASUU to go on strike to protest this jamb official seal to mediocrity.

All this
analysers

Let Jamb do their work abeg

the next thing JAMB will do is a promo,buy 1 form and get 2 for free with direct entry

01mcfadden:
You are right , man.
They do not really care about the standard of education any longer.
Thy are desperate to assuage ASUU since they know that more people would now purchase the Post UTME form and funds would be generated off the poor candidates with false hopes.

We still don't know where we are going. From 180 to 120 within just a year is stupidity and it is enough to make people see there is an asinine ulterior motive attached to that stupid decision.

Nigerians, be wise.

You have said it all, its all about the money

Nigeria which way

How sad! This is indeed a true testament of the decadence in our educational system. Reading no longer appeal to youths. Quick rich measures are what they would rather engage their time. One would expect our leaders to increase the benchmark as a means to checking the corruption in the universities' admission process, not this lowering of standard

This is just pure mediocrity.

D cutoff is too low it is better for JAMB to allow each Institutions to admit on deir capacity

It's simply to appease the North.

They are imbeciles and ne'er-do-wells.

RIPEnglish:
The country is ran by a fulani and other northerner illiterate so we can expected the worse to came to happened.

As you don make that comment, make sure you carry your guys go celebrate..... Monkey

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