Why new admission policy must be reviewed

THERE is no doubting the fact that one of the major problems responsible for Nigeria’s perceived backwardness is what the pundits call policy summersault. Simply put, frequent changes in administrative frameworks and procedures or governmental matrix, often resulting in taking two steps forwards and ten others backward. The nation is thereby portrayed as a rolling stone that gathers no moss. The movement a new government is installed, one can be so certain that there will be an absolute or partial discontinuity with some policies, many of which may have hitherto yielded positive results.

Obviously, this is the kind of scenario that is playing out  in the education sector where the minister, Mallam Adamu Adamu, last year announced the cancellation of Post- Unified Matriculation Examination (UTME) test conducted by all tertiary institutions of learning, as a quality assurance mechanism. Adamu argued that the universities were using the Post-UTME test to extort money from candidates and also subjecting the candidates to multiple examinations. Consequently, the Minister directed that the combination of school  certificate examination results and the performance at the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) -conducted examination should be used as requisites for admission. The minister’s position generated heated debate, thereby polarizing education stakeholders, with the majority insisting that Post-UTME test should be maintained. Eventually,  the Minister had his way. The 2016 admission exercise was carried out without the ritual of Post- UTME test , but not without  its overwhelming hiccups!.

Perhaps a little background to the introduction of Post-UTME test  is relevant here. The idea of Post UTME test was mooted in 2003/2004 academic session in the university of Ibadan (UI) during the Senate’s consideration of both final year and non-final year students. The credit goes to the retired  Prof. Afolabi Bangboye who noticed that some of the students who were asked to withdraw from the university on account of poor performance, gained admission with high scores from JAMB.

Bamgboye, an erstwhile Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) who called  the attention of the university’s Senate to his curious observation, later questioned the credibility of JAMB -conducted examination results, wondering why a candidate who scored 300 marks at JAMB could not defend his purported academic wizardry in the university even right from the first year!  There and then, a decision was taken that quality-assurance mechanism be put in place, hence, the beginning of Post-UTME test as an additional huddle before gaining admission. Interestingly, the Post-UTME test had run for almost 13 years before the current minister reversed the modus operandi. However, the new method which was used last year, which may still be used this year, apparently places much premium on good performances at both school certificate examination level and the JAMB.

For instance, the system says five “A1s” at West African Examination Council (WAEC) result amount to  40 per cent. Again any candidate, according to the new system, who scores 230 and above at JAMB gets 60 percent. The addition of the two performances determines the candidate’s admission status! Clearly, the emphasis is on “A1” irrespective of how you got it in the WAEC exam and a superlative score from JAMB. With good money, can that be too difficult to obtain using Nigerian factor? Bad enough, the new admission policy has just created a big business for the operators of “Miracle Centres” as  desperate candidates will now find solace in patronizing “miracle centres” where mercenaries will  be employed to get “A1” in five subjects. Given the past experiences, it is possible to manipulate  one’s way both  at WAEC and JAMB levels and then secure admission fraudulently at the expense of hard working and brilliant candidates!  Sadly, we are back to where we were before the advent  of post UTME test.

Asked to asses last year’s admission exercise with the new policy, the Ul Admissions Officer, Mrs Morenike Afolabi said: “We had a tough time coping with a large number of candidates. Some candidates fraudulently filled in high grades for themselves to gain undue advantage. But we got them later. We know that come next admission exercise, people will come with  nine “A1” , but water will always find its level with time.” The majority of the candidates who missed last admission in UI would have been admitted if they had sat for the Post-UTME  test. But because they did not have many  “As”  at WAEC level, and  also their scores at JAMB was just a little above 200,  the combination of which did not add up to 50 per cent, they were rejected.

To me, a dishonest quest for “A1” at all costs, certainly does not bode well for our academic development. This policy, obviously, is against the children of the poor who have no money to hire mercenaries to write examinations for them, but rely solely on their intellectual power.  As a nation, we cannot be regularly operating on the shifting grounds of expediency and except to be taken seriously.

• Saanu is with Directorate of Public Communication, University of Ibadan.