By Adedapo Adesanya
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reached a consensus with heads of tertiary institutions to begin the 2020/2021 post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) screening from September 7.
The board explained that the shift in the date of admission was meant to allow students sitting for the 2020 Ordinary Level (O’ Level) examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and National Business and Technical Examination (NABTEB) to obtain the required qualifications.
This was disclosed by JAMB Registrar, Mr Is-haq Oloyede after a consultative virtual meeting with Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts of tertiary institutions on Monday.
Mr Oloyede said: “The view of JAMB is that while we go on consulting at a point when it becomes necessary for the decision, we should all come together and make a decision.
“Presently, as you are aware, WAEC starts the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) on August 17, it will go on till September 7.
“Similarly, on September 21 or thereabout, NABTEB will begin its examination that will go on till October 15. Immediately after that, NECO will start on November 5 and will hold till November 18.
“Rather than making candidates run, particularly when they will have to write their school certificate examinations in different towns and rush to university elsewhere for post-UTME, like somebody rushing from Sokoto to Ibadan for post-UTME, we believe, as a custodian of the highest sector of the education system, we should avoid that.”
It was disclosed that about 1,352,988 candidates, who scored 120 and above in this year’s UTME, are awaiting results.
The JAMB Registrar noted that institutions whose post-UTME screening is mandatory for candidates would have to spread such exercise in two phases.
“For those (institutions) that want to take post-UTME, that cannot be earlier than September 7, and it will be held twice – September 7 to October 4. And then, it will be held for the second time on November 18 to mop up those who are taking their school certificate examinations,” he said.
Mr Oloyede said those that conduct admissions without the administration of any post-UTME screening should also ensure that candidates whose SSCE results will be released towards the end of the year are not denied admission.
Also, the JAMB Registrar said the board has withheld the results of candidates who sat for this year’s UTME at Correctional Service Centres (prisons) for suspected infractions.
“There are candidates who took exams in the prison yards that we know are not prisoners. So, we wrote to the correctional centres to explain how that happened, because we did not want non-prisoners to take advantage of the concessions we give to inmates,” he said.
Modupe Gbadeyanka