Leadership (Abuja)
Henry Glane Umaru
17 November 2008
opinion
Education is the platform for training people to acquire specialised roles in society from one generation to another, giving an individual a means of survival.
One cannot fail to seize the benefits of sound education through the modification of inherited culture and development of new knowledge. Education is, no doubt, an agent of socialisation, shaping values and attitudes of those who desire to be learned.
With keen interest, I was privileged to witness the so-called post-UME screening in Nasarawa State University, the University of Jos and University of Maiduguri.
Based on my personal assessment, the post-UME has been, so far, a total flop and has discouraged both parents and their wards from enrolling into the desired university system. Those at the helm of affairs in government can testify to the fact that the educational system is in shambles and filled with corrupt practices.
The criteria now is that, for any individual with the resources to get university education, he should be able to pay and sit for either WAEC, NECO, UME and now, the so-called post-UME. Individuals have to pay the sum of N2,000 or N3,000 as the case may be to universities of their choice. JAMB also came up with their own means of exploiting students by making it compulsory for each candidate to purchase an access scratch card for a fee of N2,000, to enable one get his/her original slip of UME result.
The glaring point is that before now, a student could acquire a statement of result from the internet for as low as N300 and the original result slip through the post office, as the postal address would have been given in the course of filling the JAMB forms.
The post-UME has, today, undoubtedly made it difficult for Nigerian students to secure admission, considering the fact that he/she might spend nothing less than N30,000 for transportation, feeding and accommodation, since all these are not part of the N3,000 paid to the university and N2,000 for scratch card which goes to JAMB, aside the N3,000 fee for the purchase of JAMB forms.
One wonders if the schools will enroll half of the candidates or less. With this, one could see that the post-UME is a ploy by JAMB and the universities to exploit students of what should be a right and not a privilege.
Was there a critical assessment of the issue considering its effects and limited benefits?
The late Tanzanian president, Julius Nyerere, once gave an outline on the functions of education as a tool meant to transmit from one generation to another, the abandoned wisdom and knowledge in the society and to prepare the young minds for their active participation in its maintenance of development, to liberate both the minds and body of man.
JAMB as an agent that is meant to catapult the cause of education in the country is rather playing a disappointing role as they have milked our youths dry of educational benefits which could have contributed meaningfully to the development of both the society and individuals.
The ills of our educational sector, just like the energy sector, is a fall-out of bad system of governance that has engulfed our society and JAMB, as a product of government, has continued to play the catalyst of its down-face.
There is no doubt that our educational system which has allowed JAMB, NECO, WAEC and the universities to embark on enrichment programmes was not rooted in a clearly guided philosophy to serve the general interest of the nation and what we seem to have today is an educational system that is elitist in nature.
In the 1960's and 1970's, before JAMB was introduced, candidates who wished to procure university qualification did not really have to go through stressful and un-productive process such as writing JAMB and then, post-UME.
The system worked before. Why can't we abide by that rather than embarking on difficult procedures? If JAMB is not doubtful of it's credibility to set examinations and provide admission for our youths, then why does it have to institute the so-called the post-UME? It will be better if either the UME or the post-UME is scrapped.
The point is, there are a lot of issues that Nigerians need answers to and JAMB is just one. If UME must be sustained, then there is no point having the post-UME.
The only area to give credit to JAMB for post-UME is that, it has incredibly done wonders to businessmen and women going by the sudden boost to their daily profit. You find drivers who ply the road to various parts of the country and to where the universities are located.
For instance, candidates coming from Kano to sit for the exams had to swell drivers pocket by N500, paying N2000 to Maiduguri, instead of the usual N 1,500. Furthermore, like the post-UME that was held in Jos, retailers of recharge cards for all network also had their share of the post-UME bonanza.
There was high demand for recharge cards in Nasarawa State University. Infact, there was shortage of N100 airtime for MTN which, if eventually found, went for nothing less than N120
In Maiduguri, where the post-UME was held for the second time, a call stand attendant told me that he wished the post-UME would not come to an end and if possible, it should be organised during both semesters of each session.
Umaru writes from Maiduguri, Borno State
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Man you are fully right, our educational system is in shambols, jamb has contributed in its failure by making it stressful and expensive to get admission into the university. The post- ume is made to enrich the university and jamb themselve by exploiting the student. At the end of all the exams you are not assured of the admission even if you pass the exam, you are still been ask for money by lecturers to be admitted into the university, sometime those that can afford the amount tells you that writing the post - ume is for writing sake, that they do not need the score to secure the admission, they end up paving ways for themselves into the university with there money and not their knowledge. so then whats the essence of writing both exams when your money could secure an admission for you. please jamb and the post-ume should pls be scraped and lets go back to the old system