The Association of Tutorial School Operators (ATSO) warmly commends Professor Is-haq Oloyede, registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), for his courageous admission of the recent UTME marking glitch and his prompt action to rectify the situation.
This display of accountability – publicly acknowledging errors and taking concrete steps to mitigate the impact on over 300,000 affected candidates – represents a clear but refreshing departure from the culture of denial often seen in Nigeria public service environment. Professor Oloyede’s leadership in prioritizing transparency, examination integrity, and candidates’ welfare sets a new standard for educational administration in Nigeria and deserves national accolade, rather than public opprobrium. ATSO stands firmly with Professor Is-haq Oloyede and JAMB at this trying moment, as partners and major stakeholders in the Nigerian education sector.
The However, this incident is not an isolated case. ATSO has consistently raised concerns about systemic issues in UTME administration over the years.
It should be recalled that in 2013, during Professor Dibu Ojerinde’s tenure, similar irregularities were observed in exam conduct and result computation. ATSO, after thorough evaluation which considered verifiable data, called for a review, but, at that time, rather than engage stakeholders constructively, the administration chose to dismiss legitimate concerns and assumed an adversarial posture. The stark contrast in leadership approaches between then and now highlights the transformative power of transparency and humility in public service.
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While applauding the current leadership’s responsiveness, ATSO must highlight four critical structural flaws that continue to undermine the UTME process:
A. Ill-Conceived Examination Timeline: The current practice of conducting UTME in the first quarter, before most schools complete WAEC/NECO syllabi, places candidates at a significant disadvantage. As an entrance examination, UTME should logically follow secondary school leaving examinations to allow for proper preparation. UTME is a gateway examination for admission to tertiary institutions. Most of these institutions start their admission processes around September/October; there is ample time for JAMB to conduct the UTME and release thoroughly vetted results in July/August.
B. Problematic Rescheduling Approach: The current rushed rescheduling of affected candidates, including the unfortunate coincidence with WAEC’s Agricultural Science examination on May 16th, demonstrates poor coordination between examination bodies. Such last-minute arrangements inevitably limit candidates’ attendance or compromise their performance. ATSO thinks the rushed rescheduling is an indication of the usual fire brigade approach which might culminate in unwanted outcomes.
C. Persistent Technical Deficiencies: The recurrence of system failures and glitches suggests fundamental ICT infrastructure weaknesses that require comprehensive addressing. There might be need for a total appraisal of the whole infrastructural architecture of JAMB going forward, including relationships with service providers, who coincidentally are major partakers in the error/glitch issue.
D. Exclusion of Critical Stakeholders: ATSO’s repeated offers to provide technical and strategic assistance and share our frontline experience have been largely ignored. Sustainable solutions require inclusive engagement with all education stakeholders. JAMB can no longer afford to continue to rebuff constructive contributions and criticisms from well-meaning stakeholders in the education sector.
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE REFORMS
ATSO recommends the following concrete measures:
1. Revised Examination Calendar: JAMB should consider rescheduling UTME to the third quarter (July/August) annually, following completion of WAEC/NECO examinations. UTME shouldn’t be a statistical platform for compilation of data of failed candidates, as has been the case in recent years; it should rather be an avenue for candidates to demonstrate thorough comprehension of knowledge.
2. Comprehensive System Audit:
JAMB should engage independent IT experts to conduct thorough stress-testing of JAMB’s technological infrastructure. JAMB should develop infrastructures in line with stakeholders’ recommendations. Infrastructures should be tailored to candidates’ needs and challenges in the examination hall, such that the integrity of the examination is not compromised.
3. Stakeholder Collaboration:
JAMB should establish a standing committee comprising JAMB, WAEC, NECO and ATSO representatives to harmonize examination schedules and review examination policies, in order to achieve effective and sustainable outcomes. JAMB should not arrogate all knowledge to itself, going forward.
4. Candidate-Centric Policies:
Candidates’ welfare and security should be the fulcrum of JAMB policies. For instance, candidates and their parents should not be subjected to fear and hardship by asking them to arrive at examination venues at 6am, in a society that has serious security concerns.
5. Continuous Feedback Mechanism:
JAMB should institute annual reviews of examination processes with stakeholders’ input. This will allow JAMB to take stock of successes and shortcomings in the examination cycle through stakeholders’ feedback. ATSO has over the years conducted annual reviews of all public examinations. We are always ready to make the reports available to all examination bodies upon requests.
REAFFIRMING OUR COMMITMENT
ATSO reiterates its unwavering commitment to supporting JAMB’s mission of maintaining examination integrity. We stand ready to work with Professor Oloyede’s administration to institutionalize this new era of transparency through sustainable reforms.
Nigeria’s education system thrives when all stakeholders work collaboratively toward common goals. We urge JAMB to embrace this partnership opportunity as we collectively strive for excellence in educational assessment.
Signed:
Hon. Sodunke Oludotun Michael
President, Association of Tutorial School Operators (ATSO)
