BY OPEOLUWANI OGUNJIMI

The spotlight has again fallen on Nigeria’s educational system. And right now, the nation and its education stake holders are in a state of serious debate as to whether or not to still retain some of the examination bodies already seen as part of the determinants to higher studies.

Screening of candidates for the UTME Examinations at the Abubakar Mahmud Gummi International Islamic Centre, Asokoro, Abuja.Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

What exactly started the argument was prior to the Federal Government raising a committee, headed by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsanye, to look into the number of agencies and departments in the country and to recommend ways of saving costs.

The committee made some recommendations to government, which in turn, set up another panel to write a White Paper on it. At the moment, the White Paper Committee is yet to issue its recommendations to government but Nigerians are already pouring out their minds as to the possibility of such committee coming out with the right decision.

Tracing the reason why government instituted the National Examination Council(NECO), was to break the monoploy formerly enjoyed by the West African Examination Council(WAEC). NECO was meant to drive WAEC to excellence hence, the high rate of failure or strictness exercised by WAEC in the past would be drastically reduced. But what happens if the government eventually scraps NECO? Does it mean Nigerians will return to the dark days of WAEC monopoly?

Over the years it has been observed, that passing WAEC and NECO, doesn’t guarantee students automatic admissions into universities. He or she has to still pass through the hurdle of JAMB. Also, it has since been proven that even scaling through JAMB doesn’t mean  into universities come that easily, as what determines the number of students admitted into an higher institution of learning, rests solely upon facilities possessed by that particular school.

Upon seeing that JAMB could’t guarantee students automatic admission into schools of higher learning, coupled with irregularities experienced by students who took JAMB, higher institutions of learning were given free hand to organize the post JAMB examinations. And eventhough schools now set up internal examinations, the number of students who enroll for post JAMB examinations outweighs the few who eventually get admitted. And at the end, this amounts to exploitation on the part of those who lost out.

So, with all the measures already put inplace to prove the credibility of students who eventually get admissions into universities, the Nigerian educational system is still sinking into what can be refered to as comatose. What then is the way forward- to scrap JAMB, NECO or not to scrap?

Going by the opinion polls already conducted, Nigerian University Vice Chancellors seem not to rule in favour of the scrapping.  They say scrapping the above bodies will lead to high rate of fake admissions which may likely flood Nigeria if such move is followed. But pundits have argued that the reason why this set of stake holders have ruled against  scrapping is due to the huge amount of money they earn during post UTME/JAMB examinations.

On the other hand, educationists like Ike Onyechere said scrapping the above bodies is one of the best decisions ever made by the Federal Government. He said this while speaking on Channels Television’s Breakfast Show Sunrise Daily.

Speaking from the angle of those directly involved- the students. Various Polls were conducted and  students themselves seem to be divided in their opinion. While some think scrapping JAMB/NECO will save them the stress of preparing and sitting for more than one examination, others opined that sitting for both WAEC and NECO provides a wide range of opportunity of passing their subjects hence, gaining admittion into universities of their choice becomes faster. But as for JAMB, students seem to be sitting on the same block-  they support it’s scrapping in all totality, as this gives them time to focus on only the post JAMB.

A student of A1 Academic Institute Lagos,Tinuade Williams, who at the moment is preparing for JAMB is of the opinion that JAMB should be eradicated.

“I would really love it if the federal government can scrap JAMB. The reason is because most of us get really stressed by preparing for too many examination at the same time. Since JAMB can’t guarantee me a direct admittion, why would I be forced to sit for it? Instead, I’ll prefer the post JAMB.”

Oluwatobi Akintayo, another JAMB student also thinks JAMB should be eradicated because the rigour of registration not to talk of the stress students face before and after JAMB, is too much to bear. “Personally, I’ll support that JAMB should be scrapped. I support it because the process of registration online is too rigorous. It’s not a smooth process because it hasn’t been perfected.

Besides, the stress of having to go in search of one’s center, wait under the sun until the examiners are ready for us on that day, and eventually checking our results is too much. I think post JAMB is the best. But government should make sure higher institutions don’t exploit us with the post JAMB examinations.”

On whether or not to scrape NECO, an S.S 3 female student, Amaka refused to either reveal her surname or the name of her school for fear of being traced. According to her, NECO, when it was just introduced recorded  high rates of passes. But now, it has also become a mess, just like WAEC. She says since WAEC and NECO are SSCE examinations, there’s no need to make students sit for it twice. She simply advised that “students study harder so that they can pass their papers once and for all.”

Adeyemi Fakorede thinks otherwise. For him, it’s okay to sit for the two, that if he doesn’t make his paper in WAEC, he could always work harder to pass them in NECO. “I don’t understand why students will support the scrapping of NECO. I think they are simply being lazy to study.

For me, I like both and I’m prepared for them any day any time. Students should see both examinations as opportunities to make their papers because they won’t have to wait till another year to write WEAC if NECO is there. For me, I’m sure if I don’t make all my papers in WAEC, I’ll surely make them in NECO”, he concluded.