More universities disown JAMB’s 120 cutoff mark

MORE universities have insisted that they have no intention of lowering their admission standards to accommodate students who score 120 marks in the Unified Matriculation Examination (UTME).

On Tuesday, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, after the 2017 Combined Policy Meeting with vice chancellors, rectors of polytechnics and monotechnics and provosts of colleges of education in Abuja, announced 120 marks as the minimum cutoff for admissions to universities, 100 for polytechnic and colleges of education.

The examination board, however, noted that the Senate of universities still retains the power to determine what works for them by way of minimum entry requirements.

That announcement has been generating diverse reactions since then, most them disapproval.

The Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti and the University of Ibadan were among the first universities that faulted the decision.

Both universities in separate statements on Wednesday and Thursday respectively expressed shock that JAMB could even suggest that universities should consider admitting students who score 120 marks, which is less than 50 of the 400 UTME scores, for admission.

Speaking with Saturday Tribune on Friday on telephone, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Professor Catherine Eromosele, noted that it was a good thing that JAMB had vested the final authority on admissions in the Senate of each university.

“In the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, hitherto, our cutoff for Agric-based programmes is 180. For other programmes: Engineering, Sciences, it’s 200. That is the minimum for those programmes as approved by our own Senate – and we are not changing from that position,” she said.

Also, the Public Relations Officer of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, said that though the Senate and management of the university had not met on the issue, there is a minimum standard that the university would not compromise.

He said if OAU could not accept 180 marks then (when the national minimum cutoff was 180), it would not accept 120 now.

“120 over 400 is as if one is managing failure, and OAU will not fall to that level. Our products are making waves in all areas of life all over the world just because of the standard we had set and maintained.

“Probably when the Senate of the university meets on it, we will know what to say as regards that,” he said.

Professor Kayode Alese, the Dean of Students’ Affairs, who spoke on behalf of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, said the institution would soon unveil its cutoff mark.

“However, I can assure you that FUTA has never gone as low as 120. It has never happened and it will never happen,” he said.

Alese added: “Having spoken for the university, my personal opinion is that the 120 cutoff mark will not add value to our education system. The federal government has just increased the pass mark from 40 to 50 in universities. What that means is that you must score at least 45 for you to pass any course.

“We have enough candidates; and yes, you may try to increase access, but tertiary education should be for those who have the capability.”

Also, the Lagos State University (LASU) said the university would not admit students with 120 marks.

The Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Ademola Adekoya, said, “JAMB has said that every university has to determine its own cutoff points; but like in the past when JAMB said 180, UNILAG, for instance, had always remained with 200, and LASU had stuck to 190. So, we here in LASU, we are going to stick with 190.”

The University of Lagos, when contacted on Friday, said it had not decided on the matter yet, according to its image maker, Mr Toyin Adebule.

The Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, also said it had not yet decided on the cutoff for admission, but that it would definitely not take 120 marks as recommended by JAMB.

The university’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Sola Imoru, said: “We are building a 21st century-compliant university, properly called. That means we have some set standards that every intending student will have to meet.

“We shall make our pass mark public as soon as we decide it; but I can tell you that it shall be closer to the maximum than the minimum set by JAMB.”

Also, the management of the Federal University of Technology{FUT}, Minna, Niger State, said on Friday it would not offer admission to students who score less than 180 marks for the 2017/2018 academic session.

Speaking through the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Professor Oluwole   Olakanmi Morenikeji, the university said there was no way the university could take 120 marks, because even at 180, it was expecting about 10,000 candidates, when its carrying capacity has been fluctuating between 3,000 and 4,500 every year.

“When we put our cutoff marks at 180, we have about 10,000 that meet that cutoff point. As for us in FUT, Minna, the JAMB is acting in an advisory role; and it has made it clear that the Senate of each university is the final authority when it comes to admission.

“What they have done this year is to liberalize the cutoff system, because even when we finish our own admission and we go to JAMB to submit the reports, you will see many private institutions and Innovations Centres coming to meet us that we should give them the lists of the students we have not admitted, and that they are ready to admit them.”

The Public Relations Officer of the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Dr. Charles Oni, told Saturday Tribune on Friday what JAMB did was to set a minimum admission cutoff mark, and that each institution retains the power to decide their own cutoff point, but that no institutions should go below the 120 (for universities) and 100 (for polytechnics).

“I want to believe that that is not an imposition, and the academic board of every institution has the right to decide their cutoff point,” he said.

More Nigerians react to JAMB’s new cut-off marks

Former Vice-Chancellor,University of Lagos, Prof Oye Ibidapo-Obe noted that  a score of 120 out of 400 was a woeful failure,which should not under any guise be a national standard.

Professor Ibidapo-Obe, while reacting during a group discussions on ‘Penpushing platform’,a social media on Friday stated :’ I would have been more comfortable if JAMB had announced that   there is no more national cut off point. A score of 120 out of 400 is a woeful failure and that should not under any guise be a national standard. It gives ‘filip’ to those who insist that national educational standard has fallen very low’,Ibidapo-Obe posited.

In her contribution, the  Vice-Chancellor Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode,Prof  Oluyemisi Obilade  admitted that she was in attendance at the meeting where the decision took place and all vice-chancellors made their positions clear as to their individual university cut off marks.

‘I attended as the VC of TASUED. All the VCs there made our positions clear as to our individual university’s cut off marks. However, some universities, which shall remain unnamed, went to 120. May I respectfully submit that those  universities  were exercising their fundamental right.

The entry requirements for an Ivy League University like Harvard is not the same as that of a community college. We are getting to a level on this country where proper evaluation will be done by parents and employers before interfacing with the products of our universities’, she added.

‘This is what is done in saner climes. We provided information as requested on our cut off as well as some of this background.  However, my submission is not a radical departure from my position. Integrity is important to me as an academic’.