'More students are applying for admission into polytechnics' - Exam board discloses

olamide oni

January 5, 2016 12:49 PM

JAMB said the enrolment for Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Monotechnics and Innovative Enterprise Institutions had improved.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on January 4, disclosed that it now has more candidates interested in gaining admission into Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Monotechnics and Innovative Enterprise Institutions.

According to TheNation, JAMB’s Head, Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in a statement in Lagos yesterday, said the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) had expanded the carrying capacity of the institutions and addressed admission access in the country.

“Today, we are not there yet, but the enrolment for colleges of education, polytechnics, monotechnics and Innovative Enterprise Institutions has improved," he said.

“Having said this, I want to say that we are worried by a recent interview granted by the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Rahmon Bello, where he allegedly blamed the Board for admission challenges in tertiary education.'“The respected scholar also said that the board’s matriculation examination should be split into three, with the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education each having separate entrance examination.

READ: Board refuses to extend result validity to three years

“We sincerely appreciate this concern over the challenges of admission, especially as it affects carrying capacity and the preferences of candidates for universities over other tiers of tertiary institutions.

“However, the board would want the public to note that it was this same concern among others that led to the unification of the matriculation examination,’’ the statement said.

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