PUBLISH UNUTILIZED ADMISSION SLOTS - FG ORDERS SCHOOLS

The Federal Government has ordered the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to publish in full, the list of unutilized admission slots into all Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education on a course by course basis at the end of the first leg of admission process.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Gozie Anwukah who announced Federal Government’s decision yesterday said the publication is to enable students and or parents take full advantage of existing admission vacancies in institutions where such vacancies exist.

This according to him will prevent a situation where some institutions have more than the number of students they need, while others can hardly fill their quota.

The Minister advised parents not to keep their wards at home for the simple reason that they have not gained admission into an institution or course of their choice, explaining that it is better to have their children in school while they await admission into their school and courses of choice.


The Minister also threw his weight behind the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) decision to abolish the uniform cut-off marks for admission into all tertiary institutions in the country, maintaining that the current policy lacks fairness, equity and logic.

Consequently, the Minister said he is in full support of the decision of the Board to introduce discriminatory cut-off marks for admissions into Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
A statement by Ben Bem Goong Deputy Director (Press) yesterday in Abuja said the Minister gave his nod after a one day marathon meeting with Chief Executive Officers under the Ministry today in Abuja.
According to Prof. Anwukah, it does not make any sense subjecting candidates who are seeking admission into Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education to the same cut-off marks when the durations and contents of their courses are radically different.

The Minister has therefore directed JAMB to consult widely with relevant stakeholders to come up with new and separate cut-off marks for University admission, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education which will take effect in the next academic session – 2017/2018.

Making his presentation earlier at the meeting between the Minister of State for Education and Chief Executives of Agencies under the Ministry, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Olarenwaju Oloyode told the Minister that the notion generally being held that the carriage capacity of Nigerian Universities is far below the number of candidates that qualify for admission is wrong.

Prof. Oloyode said the fact that 1.5m candidates have sat for JAMB does not translate to 1.5m qualifying for admission, explaining that only those with the requisite 180 cut-off marks can be considered for admission, adding that even out of those who make 180, a significant number may not have five credits required for varsity admission.