This
year’s just concluded JAMB UTME exercise marks a milestone in the quest for an
effective and efficient planning and conduct of national examinations for
admission into tertiary institutions. The general impression among candidates,
educationists and parents across the country where over 1.6 million sat for the
examinations was that there were significant improvements and responsive
innovations this time around which is a welcome development.
This positive
assessment is not a blanket commendation but rather an objective overview
recognizing that the seemingly unavoidable hitches usually associated with the
exercise had a lesser impact on the overall conduct of the examinations to the
satisfaction of a greater proportion of candidates.
A
candid review of the examinations exercise highlights the successful roll-out
of the Computer Based Tests as the main mode adopted after a critical analysis
of the outcome of the transition from written mode coupled with strategizing to
come up with an implementation template for optimizing the CBT mode’s
effectiveness as the preferred option. From the performance record of the CBT
as rolled out by JAMB it was evident that local factors and specifications were
integrated into the software and hardware design and delivery systems
particularly to address the peculiar challenges and expressed fears.
The
computer operation for inputting answers were over-simplified and minimized
enough for even the “village students” to find easy to learn, especially with
an abundance of free access to online/offline practice sessions that also
greatly boosted enthusiasm for computer literacy.
Arguably,
the most remarkable aspect of this year’s JAMB examinations is the tightening
of screws on the long-running scandal of brazen and rampant examination
malpractices along with the elimination of the sheer stress and anxiety
associated with unnecessary prolonged delays in release of results to
candidates.
Almost miraculously, students (and parents) knew their results
after 24 hours from the highly automated marking and delivery system deployed
by JAMB through GSM/email channels very user friendly and convenient direct to
the candidates with attendant relief and joy to over one million out of the 1.6
million candidates in the first batch.
The
“expo” virus was also effectively combated despite its versatile resistance by
the intelligent pro-active potency of JAMB’s CBT which not only compelled
students to study for individual success but pre-empted and rendered futile
various devious cheating tactics such that candidates sitting next to each
other were not writing the same examination while closed-circuit cameras
conspicuously kept vigil without compromise.
So impressed were most
educationists that the CBT was strongly recommended for all levels of education
as a double edged antidote for two most deplorable ills of national
examinations.
The
nation-wide hosting of a network of 642 private CBT centers charged with
provision of basic facilities and services for candidates was another practical
demonstration of responsive strategy to ensure sufficiency of access within
proximity of convenience to all candidates by incorporating private computer
centers that abound all over the country into the examination infrastructure.
Again, it was not just for the benefit of the candidates but also a veritable
socio-economic incentive whose valuable impact during recession cannot be over
stated. The sense of purpose exhibited here stands in sharp contrast to the
culture of unresponsive repetition of failed initiatives that bogged down
management of national examinations exercises especially JAMB for too long and
sets the pace for progressive attainment of efficiency and effectiveness in
conduct of future JAMB examinations.
The
Professor Ishaq Oloyede led JAMB management obviously put on its good thinking
cap and thrust its best foot forward in making such a marvelous debut on a
tortuous terrain to the extent that the most common problems encountered were
patently attributable to the hydra-headed attitudinal malady dubbed ‘Nigerian
factor’ that bedevils governance in its entirety. Thus most of the woes faced
by candidates, ranging from poor internet services at many CBT centres causing
delays and disruptions, poor power supply leading to computer shutdowns,
inability of the biometrics system to identify or authenticate candidates
fingerprints, exploitation of candidates by overcharging them on registration
and muddling subject combinations were directly linked to the CBT centre
operators who had pledged hitch-free examination.
Equally
disappointing is the apparent connivance of parents seeking fraudulent
advantage for their children. Hear Professsor Oloyede : ““It is sad to note
that many parents are bunch of disappointments. In their efforts to cheat the
system, many were discovered to have engaged the services of fraudulent
operators who in turn engage the CBT owners for candidates’ registration. In
the process, problems arose. Many have been arrested and more may still be
arrested. As long as we are here, the sanctity and integrity of our examination
will be protected. All the private CBT centres where the issues have been
identified with won’t be accredited by JAMB.” We have every reason to trust and
encourage him to remain resolute in his avowed determination to stop the rot
effectively and intelligently.
But
there was an awesome silver lining to brighten up the JAMB profile in this
year’s outing. The 306 blind candidates who sat for the examination lauded the
Board for allowing them use Typewriter, Braille code and Stylus to write
examination, expressing optimism that they will perform better than in 2016
when they were forced to use unfamiliar computers, making many of them to fail.
They also said unlike previous years, JAMB provided them with free
accommodation and feeding for four days. 127 blind candidates wrote the UTME at
UNILAG, 69 blind candidates at Bayero University, 60 at the University of
Nigeria Nsukka and 50 at the National Open University Nigeria, Abuja.
All
said and done, 2017 has seen JAMB flying the much sought after change agenda in
a positive and impactful manner backed by a combination of intelligence,
innovation and initiative that indicates the “out-of-the-box” thinking sorely
needed to move Nigeria forward. The challenge facing JAMB management is to
maintain this focus on delivering improved responsive examination management as
a matter of cardinal policy.
This
year’s just concluded JAMB UTME exercise marks a milestone in the quest for an
effective and efficient planning and conduct of national examinations for
admission into tertiary institutions. The general impression among candidates,
educationists and parents across the country where over 1.6 million sat for the
examinations was that there were significant improvements and responsive
innovations this time around which is a welcome development. This positive
assessment is not a blanket commendation but rather an objective overview
recognizing that the seemingly unavoidable hitches usually associated with the
exercise had a lesser impact on the overall conduct of the examinations to the
satisfaction of a greater proportion of candidates.
A
candid review of the examinations exercise highlights the successful roll-out
of the Computer Based Tests as the main mode adopted after a critical analysis
of the outcome of the transition from written mode coupled with strategizing to
come up with an implementation template for optimizing the CBT mode’s
effectiveness as the preferred option.
From the performance record of the CBT
as rolled out by JAMB it was evident that local factors and specifications were
integrated into the software and hardware design and delivery systems
particularly to address the peculiar challenges and expressed fears. The
computer operation for inputting answers were over-simplified and minimized
enough for even the “village students” to find easy to learn, especially with
an abundance of free access to online/offline practice sessions that also
greatly boosted enthusiasm for computer literacy.
Arguably,
the most remarkable aspect of this year’s JAMB examinations is the tightening
of screws on the long-running scandal of brazen and rampant examination
malpractices along with the elimination of the sheer stress and anxiety
associated with unnecessary prolonged delays in release of results to
candidates. Almost miraculously, students (and parents) knew their results
after 24 hours from the highly automated marking and delivery system deployed
by JAMB through GSM/email channels very user friendly and convenient direct to
the candidates with attendant relief and joy to over one million out of the 1.6
million candidates in the first batch.
The
“expo” virus was also effectively combated despite its versatile resistance by
the intelligent pro-active potency of JAMB’s CBT which not only compelled
students to study for individual success but pre-empted and rendered futile
various devious cheating tactics such that candidates sitting next to each
other were not writing the same examination while closed-circuit cameras
conspicuously kept vigil without compromise. So impressed were most
educationists that the CBT was strongly recommended for all levels of education
as a double edged antidote for two most deplorable ills of national
examinations.
The
nation-wide hosting of a network of 642 private CBT centers charged with
provision of basic facilities and services for candidates was another practical
demonstration of responsive strategy to ensure sufficiency of access within
proximity of convenience to all candidates by incorporating private computer
centers that abound all over the country into the examination infrastructure.
Again, it was not just for the benefit of the candidates but also a veritable
socio-economic incentive whose valuable impact during recession cannot be over
stated. The sense of purpose exhibited here stands in sharp contrast to the
culture of unresponsive repetition of failed initiatives that bogged down
management of national examinations exercises especially JAMB for too long and
sets the pace for progressive attainment of efficiency and effectiveness in
conduct of future JAMB examinations.
The
Professor Ishaq Oloyede led JAMB management obviously put on its good thinking
cap and thrust its best foot forward in making such a marvelous debut on a
tortuous terrain to the extent that the most common problems encountered were
patently attributable to the hydra-headed attitudinal malady dubbed ‘Nigerian
factor’ that bedevils governance in its entirety.
Thus most of the woes faced
by candidates, ranging from poor internet services at many CBT centres causing
delays and disruptions, poor power supply leading to computer shutdowns,
inability of the biometrics system to identify or authenticate candidates
fingerprints, exploitation of candidates by overcharging them on registration
and muddling subject combinations were directly linked to the CBT centre
operators who had pledged hitch-free examination.
Equally
disappointing is the apparent connivance of parents seeking fraudulent
advantage for their children. Hear Professsor Oloyede : ““It is sad to note
that many parents are bunch of disappointments. In their efforts to cheat the
system, many were discovered to have engaged the services of fraudulent
operators who in turn engage the CBT owners for candidates’ registration. In
the process, problems arose.
Many have been arrested and more may still be
arrested. As long as we are here, the sanctity and integrity of our examination
will be protected. All the private CBT centres where the issues have been
identified with won’t be accredited by JAMB.” We have every reason to trust and
encourage him to remain resolute in his avowed determination to stop the rot
effectively and intelligently.
But
there was an awesome silver lining to brighten up the JAMB profile in this
year’s outing. The 306 blind candidates who sat for the examination lauded the
Board for allowing them use Typewriter, Braille code and Stylus to write
examination, expressing optimism that they will perform better than in 2016
when they were forced to use unfamiliar computers, making many of them to fail.
They also said unlike previous years, JAMB provided them with free
accommodation and feeding for four days. 127 blind candidates wrote the UTME at
UNILAG, 69 blind candidates at Bayero University, 60 at the University of
Nigeria Nsukka and 50 at the National Open University Nigeria, Abuja.
All
said and done, 2017 has seen JAMB flying the much sought after change agenda in
a positive and impactful manner backed by a combination of intelligence,
innovation and initiative that indicates the “out-of-the-box” thinking sorely
needed to move Nigeria forward. The challenge facing JAMB management is to
maintain this focus on delivering improved responsive examination management as
a matter of cardinal policy.
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