The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has been urged by the House of Representatives to make the results of its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations valid for at least three years and to hold entry tests at least twice a year.
According to Vanguard, this came after Akintunde Rotimi’s motion was approved at the plenary on Wednesday.
The member who moved the resolution voiced worries about the fact that JAMB examination results are only valid for one year, adding that “the result is wasted no matter how good it is” if candidates cannot get admission into any tertiary institution of their choosing in the academic year the exam was retaken.
He said that despite the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ ongoing strikes, which resulted in the loss of complete academic calendars, JAMB still goes ahead to administer its examination annually without recourse to the effects of lecturers’ industrial action on the academic calendars.
He expressed concern over the backlog of applicants vying for the few openings at Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, as well as the strain this was putting on parents and the educational system.
The legislator claimed that the change had put parents in “double jeopardy” because they must enroll their children every year for the test.
The House adopted the motion and encouraged the Federal Minister of Education to establish procedures to guarantee that the decisions are carried out.
