(http://peoplesdailyng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Rukayat-rufai-271x300.jpg) (http://peoplesdailyng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Rukayat-rufai.jpg)Minister of Education Rukayyatu Rufai By Maryam Garba Hassan
The Federal Government yesterday released the cut-off marks for this year's admission into universities, polytechnics, colleges of education as well as monotechnics and other tertiary institutions pegging the minimum cut- off mark for admission into universities at 180 and 150 for polytechnics, colleges of education and others.
Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa'I, made the announcement in Abuja at the fourth combined policy committee meeting on admissions to tertiary institutions organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The cut -off marks which were arrived at after heated arguments by stakeholders at the meeting presided over by the Minister only represented a slight drop in what were agreed upon last year.
However, argument in favour of creating access to tertiary education and also to encourage Nigerian candidates to attend polytechnics and colleges of education superseded other factors and the cut off mark for those categories of tertiary institutions was pegged at 150 as against 160 agreed last year.
Speaking earlier, Ruqayyatu emphasized on technical and vocational education and training which she said is one area the nation must encourage its youths to participate in if Nigeria must move ahead as a nation and have competitive advantage.
"We should collectively work towards encouraging more of our youths to enroll in our TVET institutions, especially the innovation enterprise institutions, most of which are still having challenges of filling their " she said.
She added that President Jonathan has inaugurated a government-private sector committee on TVET which according to her, is currently working to support the growth of TVET at all levels.
She urged managements of tertiary institutions to follow the federal government's stipulated guidelines on admissions which stated that 70:30 technology/non-technology ratio for national diploma programs and 60:40 science /arts ratio for degree and Nigeria certificate in education programs and that they must also observe the criteria on merit, catchment and educationally less developed states.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, disclosed that the government approved 86 innovative enterprise institutions to run programs leading to the award of national innovative diploma adding that all admissions will be closed on October 31 warning that late submissions would not be entertained.
It would be recalled that the minimum cut off marks for admissions last year were 180 and 160 for universities and polytechnics as well as colleges of education respectively.
JAMB had this year conducted entrance examination into tertiary institutions with the introduction of dual based test and computer based test for the 1.7 million candidates that sat for the examination on the 18th of May and I of June, 2013, respectively.
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UTME as an examination should be scrapped once and for all. It has overstayed its welcome big time. I hope FG will do something about it