JAMB’s Action on Cut-off Mark Will Undermine Standards, Says Ezekwesili

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

A former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, has said that the decision of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to peg this year’s cut-off mark for admission into universities in the country to as low as 120 would worsen the already poor standard of education.

She described the measure as that of “running a race from top to bottom”.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Editorial Board of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Segun Adeniyi, who also reacted to the controversial JAMB cut-off mark during a Teens Career Conference’ organised at the weekend by ‘The Everlasting Arms Parish (TEAP) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Garki in Abuja, has urged the government to scrap the examination board as it is no longer useful.

Ezekweseli, who spoke in an interview with journalists at the weekend, said the examination body has outlived the purpose for which it was established.

According to the former minister, rather than conduct entrance examination for university admission, JAMB should only play a regulatory role while universities are granted autonomy to conduct their entrance examinations to determine the quality of students they want to admit.

Details later…