Board to scrap uniform cutoff marks

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This was contained in a statement from the Registrar Is-haq Oloyede issued by the board's Media and Information Head, Dr Fabian Benjamin, on Sunday, October 13 in Lagos state.

The News Agency Of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oloyede called for a national debate on the propriety of uniform cutoff marks, saying that institutions should be allowed to decide the kind of candidates they want.

In the statement, Oloyede argued that the uniformity of cut off marks did not make sense seeing as Colleges and Polytechnics admit for NCE and Diplomas, while universities admitted for degrees.

The statement added that the uniform cutoff marks restricted the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education from admitting the candidates they desire, who if not engaged, might lose their future.

In the statement, Oloyede also expressed worries concerning class opportunities as touching the distribution of admission resources, noting that multiple opportunities are available to the rich, including the choice of studying abroad.

He said that the poor had to struggle for scarce access restricted to the country while privileged kids who also took part in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) but do not meet the required cut-off marks, proceed abroad to further their studies.

The statement noted that this is crowned by the fact that rich parents also help their kids get integrated at the end of their studies while the less privileged could not afford such luxury, struggling for access that they might never get.

“Let institutions admit what they want according to their needs. This means that if a university wants 250 as minimum cut off marks, why not let it be and if another want less, then so be it.

“If a polytechnic like Yaba College of Technology in Lagos wants 250 students, let it admit and if Gboko Polytechnic in Benue wants less than 200 let it be.

“Institutions should be known for their individual quality and not collective standard.

“This will foster positive competition for the overall good of our tertiary institutions,’’ the statement said.

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The statement went on to encourage the public to reflect critically on the development for the board to take action which would be good for the country's education sector as well as the future of the Nigerian child.