Maryam Abeeb
Tertiary institutions have been allowed to determine the deadline for the 2022 admissions due to the status of 2021 admissions.
The decision was reached at the end the 2022 Policy meeting and 2020 National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit Award programme organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Abuja.
Speaking in an interview, some Vice Chancellors suggested that each university should be made to determine the closing date for the 2022 admissions into the institution, giving opportunities for universities yet to conclude 2021 admissions to end the process.
The Vice Chancellor, University of Jos, Prof. Ishaya Tanko, said that in spite of the fact that ASUU strike might soon end, there was need to make plans that would accommodate and address pending admissions in some universities.
Tanko said that some tertiary institutions had not done admission for year 2021 and students waiting for these admissions, adding that the 2022 admissions may not be concluded by Dec. 31.
“it was important to consider the ASUU strike and the 2022 admissions because some universities were yet to conclude the 2021 admissions.
” So at the policy meeting, we suggested and adopted that each institution will determine the closing of admissions into their various universities because we do not know when the strike will be called off.
” We are very optimistic following the recent meetings stakeholders had with President Muhammadu Buhari that it would soon be called off,” he said.
On the university cut-off marks, Tanko said that the benchmarks would provide common ground for all institutions and as well rescue candidates of first and second generation universities.
Also, the Vice chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, called for caution in efforts to sustain high standard at admission points into all levels of tertiary institutions.
Olarinde said that institutions must take caution while improving on efforts to reposition higher education and bring back the quality and standard education
” I stated in my contribution that 200 minimum cut-off mark shall represent 30 per cent, however some universities opined that we should go as low as 100, which I totally disagreed with.
” Rather, I made a compromise that the minimum any university should go for cut-off mark is 150 and I felt strongly about it , we receive graduates at discriminatory entry point, applicants with different scores ,this is not acceptable when you are looking to increase quality of graduates.
“we are all churning out degree holders and these set of people must have a good solid foundation at the admission point into tertiary institutions ,left for me it should have been 200, I made a compromise of 150,” She said.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Charles Esimone, expressed confidence in the ability of the cut-off marks to enrol qualified students at all levels of higher institutions.
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