Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, don start major review of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, with plan to bring life skills and critical thinking enter tertiary admission test.
The reform fit change how candidates wey dey seek admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education go dey assessed, with more emphasis on their ability to think, reason and apply knowledge to real-life situations.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, disclose this for Abuja while e inaugurate committee of education stakeholders and experts wey dem mandate to develop framework for integrating life skills and critical thinking into UTME.
Aina talk say the review become necessary because dem design UTME primarily to rank candidates wey don obtain their O-Level qualifications, and e suppose avoid just repeating subject-based assessments wey examination bodies like West African Examinations Council, WAEC, and National Examinations Council, NECO, dey conduct.
He talk say candidates don already show their subject knowledge through their secondary school examinations, so e necessary for JAMB to examine whether UTME fit better assess skills wey needed for success in tertiary education. ‘So ours na ranking task. E no necessarily be to test your subject matter expertise. So we feel for UTME examination to be purely subject matter na duplicity of effort of sorts,’ Aina talk.
The registrar challenge committee to determine whether existing UTME methodology still capable to accurately predict candidates’ prospects of success for tertiary level. ‘Are the methods wey we dey employ to check and predict who go do well for university or polytechnic or college of education, are they still valid? Are they good enough?’ he ask.
Aina note say basic UTME format don remain largely unchanged for more than three decades, stressing say changing demands for education system make periodic review necessary. ‘The biggest room in the house na the room for improvement. So we want the committee to help us take a look at this,’ he talk.
He talk say JAMB deliberately assemble experts and representatives from across education sector to ensure proposed reform reflect broad stakeholder input. ‘We cannot be judges in our own matter. So we have assembled team of stakeholders wey also experts in their own rights to join us in taking a look at this issue, to guide us and to make sure say any decision we take na one wey broadly acceptable to all stakeholders wey decisions go affect,’ Aina talk.
The committee don get initial four weeks to examine proposal from conceptual perspective, although registrar talk say its tenure fit extend where necessary. ‘We go respond to requests of committee as they see fit, within reason. But dem don give them initial time of four weeks to look into this,’ he talk.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, represented by his Technical Assistant to Acting Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Oni Adedeji, talk say proposed reform dey in line with Federal Government’s broader efforts to transform assessment across education system.
Alausa charge committee to develop assessment modalities wey go standardised, fair and transparent while e measure candidates’ analytical, logical and verbal reasoning abilities beyond recall of subject content. He talk say committee go also determine whether life skills and critical thinking suppose be assessed through separate standardised examination or incorporated into existing UTME subjects.
The minister talk say objective na to create assessment system wey fit determine not only wetin candidates know but how effectively dem fit apply knowledge, reason and solve problems. ‘I strongly believe getting these rights go shape how Nigeria evaluates readiness for tertiary education now and in years to come,’ Alausa talk. He assure committee of ministry support and collaboration throughout exercise.
Chairman of committee, Prof. Boniface Nworgu of University of Nigeria Nsukka, talk say effectiveness of UTME suppose ultimately be assessed by its ability to identify candidates with strong prospects of succeeding for tertiary education. Nworgu explain say JAMB dey conduct selection examination rather than certificate examination, meaning say assessment suppose provide reliable information on candidates’ potential to cope with academic demands for tertiary level. ‘What JAMB expected to do and what e dey do na to look at those measures wey fit help us select candidates wey get highest promise of succeeding in academic tasks for tertiary education level,’ he talk.
He talk say validity of UTME need continuous review because tertiary education curricula and skills required of students don change considerably over years. According to him, shift from Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards, BMAS, to Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards, CCMAS, don place greater emphasis on skills acquisition and critical thinking. ‘The focus now na area of skills and then critical thinking. So, what JAMB dey try do understandable from that perspective,’ Nworgu talk.
Committee chairman talk say its work no necessarily go restricted to life skills and critical thinking if deliberations establish say other measures fit improve predictive validity of UTME. ‘If in course of our deliberations, we find out say there are other measures wey fit improve predictive validity of UTME, we certainly go make appropriate recommendations,’ he talk.
Nworgu talk say committee go rely on evidence in assessing any proposed changes, insist say reforms suppose measurable and outcomes capable of being evaluated. ‘We no go make that mistake in this case,’ he talk, referring to interventions introduced without establishing baseline against which effectiveness fit subsequently be measured. ‘If we don dey use UTME for this number of years and we want produce modified UTME, so to speak, there must be evidence at end of day say this effort on time, say we no waste taxpayers’ money doing what beneficial to society,’ he add. He assure JAMB say committee go approach assignment with objective of producing recommendations capable of strengthening examination.
The committee comprises representatives from universities, examination bodies, professional regulatory councils, students’ organisations, secondary schools and development agencies.
The committee expected to submit initial recommendations within four weeks. JAMB go consider recommendations before proceeding, where appropriate, to further stage involving assessment experts wey go develop and implement details of any framework eventually adopted.
