Introduction: Jamb has come to stay in this country, and thus a requirement to gaining admission into tertiary institutions in the country. Each year, host of applicants and candidates troop to Jamb’s centres to sit for the examinations that will usher them into higher institutions of their choices. I had the opportunity to observe candidates walked to their examination centers on Monday 16 March, and the following are my observations:

Timing for the Examination: some candidates must have really found it difficult to be at their places of examination by 7am, this very time is rather unfavorable; giving the fact that most applicants needed to travel more than 3 hours before they get to the centres. So many were late, many were not allowed to sit for their exams too. 7 am is rather so early for most candidates. Many candidates and their parents or guidance really agreed and expressed their dissatisfactions with 7 am examination schedule, 9 would have been more convenient.

Print out Slip: Jamb gave the instruction that the slip be printed out and photocopied, but host of candidates came without photocopying their Jamb slip, and thus got themselves destabilized by running around looking for photocopy machines. Why not get yourself ready before hand and save yourself further stress. You need to be calm and collected to be able to concentrate and sit for your exams. Running around could be avoided.

Reading and Following Jamb’s Instructions: Jamb was clear on the use of wrist watches, jewelries and phones. But host of those siting for the exam came with heavy dangling earrings and neck chains, some were even reluctant in removing them. Thereby distracting themselves and wasting their own time. I watched people looking for where to drop their phones, and jewelries, and many of them lost these items because they couldn’t remember whom they gave them or those that held them for them eloped with them. Why come to examination centers with things you have been instructed not to come with. You could do without these just for 2 hours.

Things to come with: if you know you are sitting for exam, why not come with required things. Most candidates who were sitting for Mathematics and Physiques were still looking for pencil when others are already being directed to enter into the examination hall. Some came with unsharpened pencils looking for someone that has razor. This is rather a sign that one is not ready for examination. Why not come with pencil, and if you are asked not to use it, you keep it outside than not coming at all with it when you actually needed to.

Jamb’s Centres are not for Fashion Parade: why not come to your place of examination dressing politely and not provocatively. You have come to sit for your examination and make your mark and noting more. Your score is what makes you stand out and not the kind clothe you wore to writing the examination. So dress well and avoid embarrassment. From my observation most people thought that they were in for fashion show rather than sitting for examination. Some who wrote in Catholic Schools where modesty is pronounced were asked to go wear something better. Why all these, when they could be avoided.

Parents and their Help: parents need not provide everything for their children, they need only provide the needful. As I kept my observations alive, I noticed that most parents were eager to enter examination hall to give their children who knew that they should need pencil for calculation during their Jamb examination, but fail to bring one along out of negligence. Some were really exchanging words with an officer of the law manning the entrance gate, when the fault is that of their children. You can’t give your children everything only the needful; I hope such parents will still go with them to university to help them fill their course forms and write their quizzes.

Loitering about: if your exam is by 9am, and those of 7 am have gone far, why not hang around bearing in mind that your own screening will start in earnest since the sole purpose you are there is to sit for your examination. I watched candidates denied entrance into the examination hall because they weren’t screened. What made the matter worst is that most of these candidates came to their centres in time. What is it that is calling for your attention more than examination you came to write? At times we are the cause of our misfortunes not really people in the village.

Reading Culture is dead: Majority of these applicant never read for Jamb. This is the fundamental truth, this will definitely be evident when the results start rolling out. A parent confidently said, that her son never read for one day, but that she brought him here because his center is far and the dad asked that she do so. Time is past when students who were to sit for examinations, come to their examination centres revising what they have read, now is all about pressing phone, listening to music and engaging in an endless gossip, when all these could wait. It is time that these young heart learnt that their primary purpose for being in school is to study, other things are frivolities.

Try as much as you can to be on your own: this is important because you don’t know what is following the other person. I am saying this because there are forces at work. If not how do you explain the case of a girl who came to the place of her examination a day before, slept around the area since her examination was by 7am, came to the school she were to write her examination by some munities to 7, and yet didn’t sit for her examination because according to her, she didn’t know when the screening started. She admitted that she saw other candidate lining up, but didn’t know that they were going in for examination she came for. Even her ears were blocked to the shouting of the coordinators. She succeeded in making one guy not to sit too because they were engrossed in whatever they were talking about. These two never sat for their examination, they went home sorrowfully, I wonder the lies they will tell their parents.

Conclusion: Many observations of these kinds abounds, as I watched young boys and girls walked round their examination centers and walk into their examination halls to sit for the ongoing Jamb examinations. It is rather evident that most of these young souls are carried away by their young age and youthful exuberance, they need a lot of guidance and direction. Many parents have really failed in this regard, and I ask if parents fail to guild and guard these young hearts now they are yet to gain admission into higher institution, when they gain the admission what happens. Check yourself as a parent if you have failed in this regard. We have a lot to do, lest our society will keep deteriorating. It all begins from the family. To our younger generation, there is nothing in frivolities, your primary aim of being to school is to study and pass your exams, other things na jara!

Leodegreat
[/left]

Kontinue