According to the Federal Government, only 20 percent of candidates sitting for the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will secure admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide. Compounding the already sobering statistic, the government is actively considering raising the minimum age requirement for entry into tertiary institutions to 18 years old.
These disclosures came directly from Education Minister Prof. Tahir Mamman on Monday in Abuja, where he monitored the ongoing UTME alongside the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede. A staggering 1.9 million candidates registered for the high-stakes examination, which commenced on April 19th and will conclude on April 29th, 2024.
Mamman voiced his concerns over parents exerting undue pressure on their children, sternly cautioning against pushing wards “too much” and stressing the imperative of allowing students to attain a level of maturity to manage their affairs and life in higher learning institutions properly. Existing public tertiary institutions grapple with limited carrying capacities, while private institutions consistently struggle to fill admission quotas due to prohibitive tuition fees.
Addressing the disproportionately high number of candidates currently vying for limited tertiary spots, Mamman asserted that skills acquisition remains critical in preparing youth for a prosperous future. “It is not a question of being employed but how many will be admitted from this set. I think the figure overall on average is about 20 percent; that our universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education can accommodate,” he stated.
The Minister expounded further, “The question you ask is where are the 80 percent? They are our children, our wards living with us. This is why the issue of skills acquisition is very important because any student who is not able to proceed to tertiary education should be able to have a meaningful life even after secondary school, even primary education.”
On the contentious issue of age requirements, Mamman declared, “The other thing which we notice is the age of those who have applied to go to the university. Some of them are too young. We are going to look at it because they are too young to understand what a university education is all about or even how to cope with the rigour of higher education” He elaborated that 18 should be the entry age, as students younger than that may struggle to manage the transition to an independent university environment.
Mamman commended JAMB for a seamless examination process, crediting the adoption of technology for drastically reducing examination malpractice. “Right from screening to those who are here, the examination process is seamless…It is being monitored everywhere seamlessly, and from the report I have heard, the malpractice level is very low. Just 100 out of 1.2 million. It has gone down drastically, and I believe it is the use of technology that has made that happen.”
Dr. Tanko Sununu, Minister of State for Education, praised JAMB’s objectivity and reliability, noting the UTME’s expansion into Saudi Arabia reflects its elevated standards. He extolled the examination’s efficiency, security measures, and user-friendly format, declaring, “I have not heard people complaining of answers leaked; it shows that with online exams, we can do a lot.”
