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Reactions Trail JAMB’s New Cut-Off Point
Director, Consultancy Services Unit of the University of Abuja, Prof. Vicky Sylvester has argued that candidates’ poor performance or otherwise in UTME does not really determine the best among them.
Sylvester, expressed the view in reaction to the minimum cut-off point fixed by stakeholders in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in May.
She said in an interview with newsmen in Abuja yesterday that education largely did not depend on cut-off point.
“There is a lot of discontent in connection with the results of many students; I think it is all about personal attitude toward education.
“So, if you come up with 120 cut-off point and your SSCE result is good as well as credible performance in the university, nobody will complain about your performance.
“We have students who are performing very well in spite of everything; there are still some students who scored high points in both SSCE and JAMB but are performing very poor in the classroom.
“And most times they are the ones giving problems to the university, at the end they graduate with poor results.
“So, education generally goes beyond JAMB results,’’ she said.
Sylvester further explained that reducing the cut-off point was an attempt to favour certain parts of the country, especially those areas that had problems of scoring low marks.
“I think the decision of the stakeholders to reduce the cut-off point as low as possible is to make up for those areas that were generally expected to have lower cut-off point.
“People have complained previously on why there should be disparity in the distribution of cut-off point among states and tertiary institutions,’’ Sylvester said.
Similarly, former Director of Planning, Federal Ministry of Education, Prof. Mamman Shuaibu said the cut-off point would take care of some segments of the country as “all fingers are not equal.’’
Shuaibu also said that the low cut-off marks would liberalise admission to universities.
“I think what they have simply done is to increase the number of possible candidates that the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education can consider.
“The colleges of education have been complaining about the reduction of candidates that applied to them in the previous admission exercises.
“But in this way, the stakeholders have increased the pool in which all these institutions can admit students easily,’’ Shuaibu said.
However, Sustainable Development Goals Desk Officer, National Mathematical Centre, Mr. Olatunji Jekayinfa said that reducing the cut-off mark below the supposed average score of the total marks was unacceptable.
Jekayinfa noted that in test and evaluation process, “if a test is administered and the majority of the students are failing then the content of the test should be checked.
“There are four subjects that the students are expected to take for UTME examination and each of them is 100 marks.
“So, for the four subjects the total score is 400 and the average score is 200, if the cut-off marks will be below 200 it is unacceptable,” he explained.
He further argued that the cut-off point should not be more than 30 marks below the average score of the examination total mark, saying going as low as 120 could be a jeopardy to the nation’s education system.
Also, the Acting Secretary-General, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Dr. Mike Ike-Ene said the drop in the cut-off mark did not mean that the candidates did not prepare well for the examination.
He said that it could be that the UTME examination was above their level.
“I don’t think that lowering the cut-off mark is an indication that the candidates are failures, rather it depends on the standard that was used for the examination,” he said.
Stakeholders met on Monday and fixed the minimum cut-off mark for admission to universities at 120, the lowest in recent history.
The stakeholders also fixed 100 marks for admission to polytechnics and colleges of education and 110 for innovative enterprising institutes.
Previously, the cut-off mark for universities had hovered between 180 marks and 200 marks, while that for polytechnics and colleges of education ranged from 160 marks to 180 marks.
The Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, has teamed up with a renowned hospital group in Port Harcourt, the Meridian Hospitals, which is in partnership with the Pilgrims Health Foundation, to carry out a one-day medical outreach last Tuesday.
The free treatment scheme took place at Oromenike Government Girls Secondary School in D-Line, Port Harcourt, with over 100 persons accessing free treatments, including free eye-glasses and booking for eye surgeries.
Other areas of treatment included general health consultations and treatment; blood pressure and sugar level testing; malaria testing and treatment; free prescriptions; preventive health talks focusing on hygiene, maternal health, and nutrition.
The scheme was conducted under the theme: ‘Bringing Healthcare to the Community.’
Newsmen who visited the venue of the scheme found that enthusiastic beneficiaries had thronged the area as early as 7a.m. After setting up, the medical team began attending to the patients.
Mr. Jerry Onwuso, a 63-year-old patient, who was first to see eye doctors and got eye glasses and drugs, told newsmen that he was pleased with the medical intervention.
He made it clear he did not pay any money to get all the treatments and glasses, and pleaded that the scheme be sustained.
Another patient, Loveth Sam, expressed satisfaction with the scheme and appealed to the sponsors to continue to increase the benefits.
Throwing some light on the scheme, Mr. China said he worked in Meridian Hospitals as a Lab. Scientist 19 years ago, but resigned because he could not bear to see patients struggling for life because they had no money to pay for treatment.
He said he came back to help extend free medical treatment to the less privileged.
Sources said China was always having issues with the hospital authorities when he would insist on critical patients being allowed to be treated first, with or without money.
Years later, China, who now goes by a brand name, the Mayor of Housing, returned to the Meridian Hospital headquarters to support free medical scheme.
He also went the next day to the headquarters of Meridian, after the one-day medical outreach, to give cash gifts and palliatives to workers he met when he worked there but had remained in service since he left.
He encouraged them to continue to give their all to humanity through the hospital. The Mayor of Housing called most of them by name and a cloud of emotions descended on them during the reunion.
Appreciating the gesture, the Founder and Chief Medical Director, Dr. Iyke Odo, said China had always manifested hard-work, ambition, and impulsive giving.
According to him, the then young bright boy was full of humanity, kindness, love, and made friends easily, adding that “not everybody that gives is a giver. The difference is that givers are given to give.”
Dr. Odo used the opportunity to call on governments to review Nigeria’s health insurance system and make it work in Nigeria to save lives.
He said it was sad watching critically sick persons abandoned because they did not have money for treatment.
He also condemned harsh tax and electricity tariffs whereby facilities like his now pay N12 million instead of N500,000 few years back.
He wondered why hospitals were being made to pay tariffs like oil companies, citing many other countries where medical facilities were placed on low rates and tariffs so they could charge moderate fees from patients.
The Renewed Hope Initiative in conjunction with the Rivers State Government has empowered 500 elderly citizens in Rivers State with financial support of N200,000 each.
The empowerment programme was part of activities to celebrate the third anniversary of the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme RHIESS, a social investment policy initiated by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking at the event which held at the Government House, Port Harcourt, recently, under the theme, ‘Finding Joy in Old Age,’ Senator Tinubu said the gesture which has become traditional since 2023 was a mark of gratitude in recognition of the invaluable contributions of the senior citizens to nation building.
The First Lady who was represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Lady Valerie Fubara, said the scheme was to “support two hundred and fifty (250) vulnerable elderly citizens aged 65 and above in all the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory, and veterans from the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) totalling 9,500 selected beneficiaries across the nation.
She urged the beneficiaries to engage in activities that will make them find joy in old age.
“I encourage you to continue playing your part by staying healthy and active, nurture both your body and mind through regular exercise and meaningful engagement,” Senator Tinubu advised.
On her part, Lady Fubara said the State Government through the magnanimity of the governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has increased the beneficiaries of the programme from 250 to 500.
She restated the commitment of the State Government towards provision of social welfare and improving the standard of living of the elderly in the State.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr Vetty Agala, said the State Government has through the Health4allrivers Initiative, introduced free medical care for senior citizens in the State, in line with the Renewed Hope Initiative.
