THE UNIFIED TERTIARY MATRICULATION EXAMINATION UTME AND ITS PROS AND CONS

BY
GABRIEL ALUM OF OUR NEWS DIRECTORATE

SOME MONTHS AGO the Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Professor Dibu Ojerinde INFORMED THE NATION OF A new examination policy that will replace the current university matriculation examination. Since the announcement, many Nigerians have been ASKING whether the new policy will make a difference. The new examination system NAMED Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME is expected to replace THE Universities Matriculation Examination and the Monotechnics, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Matriculation Examination. The new examination system which begins next year no doubt calls for sufficient public enlightenment and sensitization of the VARIOUS stakeholders.
The question is what informed this policy? The policy was initiated as a result of attempts by the federal government and all concerned PARTIES in the education sector to find lasting solutions to the problems associated with access and the quality of entrants into the nation’s tertiary institutions. In the past decade, the EDUCATIONAL system has witnessed too many policy changes with negative impact on student and their parents as well. It is against this backdrop that the federal government decided to overhaul the entire education system and the unification of the tertiary matriculation examination is therefore part of the positive steps in that direction. It is expected however, that UTME when operational will go a long way to place candidates in the right institutions, ENSURE harmonization of academic calendars of tertiary institutions, improvement of technical and vocational education and improvement in the quality of teachers. There is no gain saying the fact AS A NEW EXAMINATION CONCEPT may experience some basic challenges.
These challenges include acceptability, EFFECTIVENESS of personnel, inadequate centres, and security both at the examination centres and for the examination materials. Under this new arrangement, all candidates seeking admission into the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education would sit for the same examination the same day. The candidates would be allowed to choose up to six different schools, two from each of the tertiary institutions. Those who fail to be admitted into the universities would be admitted into the polytechnics and colleges of education. This arrangement according to many educationists would boost polytechnic education and reduce cost on the part of the candidates. In realization of this, the syllabus and brochures of the examinations are expected to be harmonized while some polytechnics would begin to award Bachelor of Technology Degrees. One pertinent issue that is yet unresolved is the lack of interest in polytechnics and colleges of education among young students.
The discrimination between university degree and HND holders is at the root of it. Many parents particularly the affluent ones have vowed not to send their children to the polytechnics. Besides, universities consider only first choice candidates for admission. As the entire nation looks forward to embracing the new examination system, the policy makers should strive to avoid anything capable of truncating this laudable venture. To this end, it is believed that Professor Ojerinde and his team at JAMB would leave no stone unturned to ensure that enough infrastructures and manpower are provided for a successful implementation of the new Unified Entrance Examination to tertiary institutions.


Source: recorded live from FRCN daily commentary