Education
JAMB Pegs UMTE Cut-Off Mark At 180
The Federal Government has reduced the cut-off marks for gaining admission into Federal Polytechnics and Colleges of Education for the 2013/2014 academic session, the Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayat Ruf’ai has said.
Speaking at the end of a policy meeting with administrators of tertiary institutions in Abuja, yesterday, the minister announced 150 as cut-off mark for students seeking admission into polytechnics and colleges of education.
For universities, the cut-off point is 180.
Justifying the reduction, Prof Ruf’ai said it was aimed at encouraging students to seek admission into polytechnics and colleges of education.
The policy meeting called to determine the cut-off marks was attended by the Vice Chancellors, Registrars and Administrators of Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education as well as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
The Tide gathered that outcome of the examination for entry into Nigerian universities for the 2012/2013 academic session is abysmal, at least so shows the result released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
Out of the 1,503,931 candidates that sat for the examination, only about 72,400 scored 200 and above out of the 400 marks available.
Most Nigerian universities peg the cut off for their courses at 200.
The results, announced last Friday in Abuja by the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, showed that only three candidates scored over 300 marks in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Nine hundred and one candidates were said to have scored above 270 marks while 72,243 had 250 marks.
Only 151 candidates scored between 200 and 249 marks.
Though the analysis showed that 1,048,314 candidates passed the examination, this is based on the premise that the universities will, generally, accept 180 as the cut off mark for admission.
However, most universities demand a score of over 250 for their key courses in the sciences and law.
About 366,330 candidates scored belowe 169, while 374,920 candidates scored between 170 and 199.
On malpractices, Rivers State, like it happened in the National Examinations Council results for the senior school certificate examination released on Thursday, topped the list of states that erred.
Out of the 1,503,931 candidates that sat for the examination, the results of 1,384,644 were released while 5,161 were declared invalid.
Results from 24 centres in Rivers State were withheld.
Lagos came second in this category with the results from 11 centres withheld.
Imo, Benue, Cross River, Delta and Nasarawa States also had plaques in this category, with the results of six, three, two, two and one centres seized.
On the number of candidates that sat for the examination and the schools they applied to, Ojerinde said Imo State had the highest number of applicants, which he put at 123,865.
Delta, Anambra, Osun, Oyo and Ogun States followed with 88,876, 84,204, 73,935, 71,272 and 71,173.
The lowest enrolment came from Jigawa, Kebbi, Yobe, Zamfara, Sokoto and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja that had 11,529, 7,364, 6,389, 5,713, 5,664 and 3,380.
There were 833,082 male candidates and 660,522 female candidates that sat for the examination.
The University of Lagos recorded the highest number of requests for admission with 83,865 candidates.
Others are the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, 82,148; University of Benin, 80,048; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 79, 398, University of Ilorin, 76,276; Obafemi Awolowo University, 64,702; Ahmadu Bello University, 56,708; University of Port Harcourt, 48,439; University of Uyo, 44,397; Imo State University, 43,353; and University of Ibadan, 40,011.
The Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board has released the names of 5,600 newly recruited primary school teachers and 80 caregivers in the State.
The SUBEB Chairman, Nureni Adeniran, who announced this in Ibadan, the state capital, on Friday, explained that the list had been duly approved by the state Governor, Seyi Makinde.
“The newly appointed teachers and caregivers are the first batch of successful applicants from the recent recruitment exercise carried out by the board,” he said.
“The list will be uploaded on the portal and will be available for candidates to check their names from the portal.
A Professor of Accountancy in the Department of Accounting , Faculty of Administration and Management, Rivers State University, Prof Lawyer Chukwumah Obara has advocated the adoption of African traditional values as a managerial tool to eradicate systemic corruption and mismanagement of public funds in governance.
According to him , the use of such African traditional methods like shrine oath-taking by public servants will deter such public officials from misappropriation of public funds while in office. He said accounting system is evolutionary science that recognises the practice of some pragmatic ideological practices such as African norms and values to fight corruption and mismanagement of funds that is predominantly noticed in both public and private governance.
Prof Obara stated this while delivering his inaugural lecture at the 106th inaugural lecture series of the state university with the topic, “Pragmatic Ideologies and Visionary Accounting: Reinforcing the Helmet, “ held at the Senate auditorium,last Wednesday.
He noted that all the 36 States including the Federal Capital Territory in the country can convinently survive without any federal allocation if they embrace pragmatic ideological accounting systems that are visionary accounting methods.
“Every State must adopt pragmatic approaches in their accounting system,there should be accountability and transparency, ,we must be flexible in our Constitution as constitutional rigidity is bane of the growth of the nation and we must go back to our root , traditional values and that will promote wonderful accounting system and the world will celebrate us,”he stated.
The erudite scholar noted that Accounting science helmet provides a safety umbrella to shade RAIR from shady accounting practices and can serve as both protective measure and forward looking.
Mr Vice Chancellor,in the foregoing senses, reinforcement can increase the probability that the accounting’ behaviour will occur again in similar situations.This implies that reinforcing the helmet is a powerful tool in shaping accountants behaviour, learning and development and this can lead to more effective strategies in accounting therapy and everyday interactions”,he stated.
The lecture examined the evolution of philosophical thought in accounting, notion of pragmatic ideologies in accounting, visionary accounting paradigm , transparency , differences and similarities,the helmet metaphor : balancing protection progress.
He posisted that accounting plays vital role in the socio-economic development of nations , stressing that Accounting is the instrument for financial management , transparency, and resource allocation.
“Over the years ,the accounting system has undergone significant transformations influenced by historical developments , regulatory reforms, and the adoption of global standards which serve as the helmet reinforcing and protecting socio_economic development.”
Reinforcement is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology and learning theory, particularly in the context of operant conditioning. it refers to any stimulus or event that increases the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated in the future.It can be understood as a mechanism that encourages certain behaviors through rewards or consequences,”he stated.
In concluding, Prof Obara stated that Nigeria’s economic landscape demands an accounting profession that is both pragmatic and visionary .
Earlier in his speech,the Vice Chancellor of the university Prof Nlerum Sunday Okogbule represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof Victor Akujuru the lecture said is valuable and is capable to advancing the growth and development of any society if adopted, even as he commended the lecturer for a thoughtful and impacted inaugural lecture.
By: Akujobi Amadi
A team of board members and directors of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board led by Member in charge of Supervision / Monitoring, Chief Nwuke Anucha visited Ogboloma,a riverine community in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of the State to inspect a six classroom block built single handedly by the community recently.
Speaking at the King’s palace shortly after inspecting the building and facilities in the school, Chief Anucha, who represented the board chairman, Alabo David Briggs, commended the people of Ogboloma for remaining united and working in synergy for the good of the community and the younger generation.
While assuring them that the board chairman would surely be briefed on the effort so far made by the community in encouraging education in the area, Anucha expressed optimism that he (Briggs) will not hesitate to give his approval for the school to kick off and called on the people to see education as the responsibility of all.
He used the medium to thank the King of Ogboloma His Highness Micah Brother, the councilor, Hon. Thomas Carlson; CDC Chairman, Lucky Brave Egba, Chiefs and elders and youths for working in synergy for the progress of community.
Also speaking, the board member in charge of projects Dr. Walson Ominini lauded the people for promoting education in the area, assuring them that their effort will not be in vain.
Earlier in his speech, the King of Ogboloma, His King Micah Brother thanked the bfor finding time to visit the community, pointing out that the six classroom block was the singular effort of the community and appealed to the board chairman to give approval for the school to kick off.
The King who spoke through the councillor representing the area, Hon. Thomas Carlson narrated how children in the community are trekking long distances to neighbouring communities in search of quality education and sometimes would be bitten by snakes called on the board to come to their aid as government presence is not in any way felt in the community.
The chiefs also spoke, thanking the board officers for coming to see things for themselves.
By: Akujobi Amadi