110 Unity Colleges: Stick to 1:40 Teachers/Students Ratio, Minister Tells Principals

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

As Principals of the Nation’s 110 Unity Colleges converge in Benin City, the Edo State capital to kick-start this year’s admission, Education Minister, Mr. Adamu Adamu, has directed them to stick to the national policy of the ratio of one teacher to forty students per class in line with UNESCO regulations.

 Adamu stressed that the carrying capacity must be adhered to and urged them to be guided by the principles of fairness, equity and good conscience in the conduct of the admission.

In his message to the body of principals handling the exercise, Adamu emphasised that every part of the country must be given a sense of belonging in the admission exercise, adding that the process must reflect the ideals of the founding fathers of unity colleges as centers of academic excellence and models for states and private schools as well as instruments for national integration and unity.

The Director, Senior Secondary Education, Ms. Binta  Abdulkadir, who delivered the message on behalf of the minister, said that principals must stick to the rules in order to make the right choices of qualified candidates as a foundation for future academic excellence.  

Adamu said: “You all should stick to the national policy of the ratio of one teacher to forty students per class in line with UNESCO regulations and the carrying capacity must be adhered to.”

He emphasised that candidates who have applied for admission into unity schools outside of their immediate communities should be given priority.

The minister directed principals to adhere strictly to the criteria for the selection which is 60 percent national merit, 30 percent equality of states and 10 percent exigency.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Chairperson of Principals of Federal Unity Colleges, Dr. T. Yakubu-Oyinloye, who is also the principal of Queens Collage Lagos, said that government’s guidelines on merit and equality of states would be followed strictly so as to get the best candidates for the nation’s unity colleges.