JAMB: Extending the Validity of Results to Three Years will Postpone the Life of Students
Says Senate’s recommendation complex Bans cyber cafes from registration
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) yesterday said the recommendation by the Senate that all JAMB results for entry into tertiary institutions should last for three years would distort and delay the future of students across the country.
JAMB’s position came on the heels of Senate directive on its Committee on Education to increase the validity time frame of JAMB results from one to three years.
The Senate also mandated the committee to summon the JAMB to appear before it to make clarifications on some controversial admission policies.
Contrary, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde speaking at the opening ceremony of JAMB-UNEB Benchmark on Item Banking yesterday in Abuja opined that such policy would obstruct the education progress of students across board.
According to him, it is urgent for stakeholders to answer critical questions regarding such a policy.
Ojerinde argued that expressing reservations about the Senate position does not in anyway signifies opposition to cutting cost.
“There are complexities in this thing; until we are able to clear it. When you say you will use JAMB results for three years, is it achievement test or aptitude test?
“However, are we delaying his or her life? Are we postponing his or her by telling them to stay home? If next year, he
doesn’t get the cut off points, what happened?” The JAMB Registrar asked.
Ojerinde said: “I have nothing against the idea, because we will tell the children, those bluffing polytechnics and College of Education go there and waste their time, if it is a waste of time.”
The Registrar also informed journalists that cyber cafes across the country would no longer be allowed registered candidates for tertiary education examinations.
He said: “In the final analysis, cyber cafes are not allowed to register candidates for a number of reasons. Cyber cafes may have their address here today, tomorrow, they are somewhere else.”
Ojerinde explained that if registration code is given to cyber cafes, they may mess the process up, thereby, creating crisis for the board.
Speaking at the event, the representative of the Minister of Education and Director, Tertiary Education, Hajia Hindatu Abdullahi, stated that “the results of large scale examinations conducted by examination bodies such as JAMB, UNEB, NECO, NABTEB, etc are necessary for decision making and should therefore be credible.
“Consequently, the deployment of technology is very imperative if the results must be reliable. The role of technology in education cannot be over emphasized. Electronic item banking is consequent on the use of technology for item analysis and calibration,” she said.