The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) has called on the Joint Admission Board (JAMB) to review its new policy on awaiting result.
The President of the MSSN, Lagos State Area Unit, Saheed Ashafa who said this in a press statement made available to journalists expressed fear that the new policy may cause unnecessary delay for school leavers.
He explained that with the new policy, it could be inferred that UTME was meant to be taken by school leaver’s who have spent about one year at home.
According to him, the recently introduced policy that stipulates that only candidates with their O’ level results are qualified to sit for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is counter- productive.
He said, “No doubt, the new policy is a good and developmental one. In addition to the fact that it will reduce the financial burden on the parents, it will also help to ensure that sound candidates get admitted. This is one bold step that the management of JAMB should be commended for.
“However, many fears abound and if they are not tackled the policy will only serve as punishment for candidates and ruin the career of many. A holistic view at the Nigeria education system shows that the new policy may not be better enjoyed at this period that it is introduced.
“This is because many challenges remain unsettled. Before the implementation of the new policy, there is an important need to take the reason why many candidates apply for UTME while awaiting their results; part of which is the incessant closure, unstable calendar of universities and the delay in the release of O’ level results by West Africa Examination Council and National Examination Council.
“ Thus, a review to accommodate unforeseen circumstances caused by bodies under the control of the Federal Government like WAEC or NECO need to be done for successful implementation of the policy.”
Ashafa also urged the management of JAMB to ensure that forms were only made available after release of Senior Secondary Council Examination (SSCE) results.
“For this to be fully beneficial, the management of JAMB should liaise with other examination bodies to ensure that results are released on time. Also, JAMB forms should be sold after the release of WAEC and NECO results so that candidates who won’t be able to apply are those that didn’t pass their needed papers,” he added.
He urged government to organise empowerment or vocational programmes that would engage school leavers during the waiting period.
Dwelling on the forthcoming Young Managers Quiz Competition (YMQC) forthcoming Ashafa said that the competition was organised to equip pupils with necessary skill to combat economic challenges rocking the country.
