JAMB alleges that private schools are engaging in extortion of UTME candidates
Some private secondary schools are involved in extortion of candidates taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), as stated by Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Oloyede asserted this during an appearance on Monday's Sunrise Daily program on Channels Television.
He raised concerns about the widespread practice of schools imposing excessive fees, ranging from N10,000 to N20,000, for registration, surpassing the official JAMB fee of N6,000 to N7,000.
He emphasized, "We encourage candidates to register directly at the designated centers. A critical issue we are currently addressing, irrespective of disability status, is that UTME is not an examination conducted at the school level."
"Some private secondary schools are engaging in extortion of candidates; they charge 10,000 to 20,000, claiming it covers JAMB forms, while the actual cost is only 6,000 or 7,000, as the case may be. Additionally, they mishandle the candidates' data," Oloyede explained.
He also asserted that these private schools mishandle candidate data because each candidate is expected to register individually using their own phone.
"Each candidate is supposed to register with their own phone, but these individuals are merging their data together," Oloyede stated.
He further emphasized that UTME is not a school-based exam and underscored the mandatory nature of individual registration. He pointed out that even requests for special group registration, such as one from Federal Government College Bwari for students with disabilities, were denied due to the Board's policy requiring individual registration.
"Even a specific institution, Federal Government College Bwari, approached us, asking for special registration for individuals with disabilities. However, it is not feasible, as we are not a school-based examination. We register individual candidates pursuing university admission, not groups."
The JAMB registrar clarified that the primary purpose behind establishing centers for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) was to ensure equal opportunities for all UTME candidates. He highlighted that JAMB recognized the necessity for special attention to individuals with disabilities and collaborated with various individuals and organizations to create these dedicated centers.
"The rationale behind this is that individuals facing physical disabilities require assistance. We observed that they need special attention, which is not easily accessible in the 774 centers nationwide.
Therefore, what we did was establish centers that are as geographically proximate as possible to their locations. We acknowledge that this may still pose a challenge for them, but to ensure equal opportunities, we provided the necessary support for them and their guides to reach the centers. These dedicated centers are spread across the country, allowing candidates to be closer to their places of residence," Oloyede explained.
Oloyede confirmed that the registration for the 2024 UTME commenced last week and is scheduled to conclude within the next four weeks.
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