Stakeholders in the education sector believe that the dismal results of the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) are a reflection of the Nigerian education system.
The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Mr. Ishaku Olowede, said on Monday, April 29, 2024, that out of the 1.8 million candidates who sat the exam, a total of 1.4 million scored below 200 marks. Scores were obtained and 76 of them were declared successful. percent.
Educators say this reveals the depth of the country's education crisis and highlights the urgent need for decisive state intervention.
Mr Bamidele Okwoga, a legal practitioner, said the 2024 UTME results reflect the current state of the education system.
“It's not surprising that such a high rate of failure was recorded,” he says.
However, he noted that the tertiary institutions available in Nigeria cannot even accommodate the same number of students beyond the JAMB standards.
“The issue goes beyond success rates at UTME level. We need to understand the entire system of admissions to different higher education institutions in the country and how it impacts the lives and futures of children. need to be investigated,” he said.
Public Relations Analyst Yinka Bolarinwa, while praising JAMB’s efforts to modernize the UTME, noted that the quality of education given to candidates before the exam was questionable.
“The overall quality of education provided in a school, including teaching standards, curriculum relevance, and infrastructure, can have a significant impact on student preparation for standardized exams such as the UTME.
“JAMB has advanced the modernization of UTME through CBT and support services, but to improve exam results and ensure fairness and inclusiveness of the assessment process, we need curriculum adjustments, improved teaching quality, technology “Continued efforts in integrating these are essential,” he said.
Bolarinwa advocated for policy makers, educators, parents and students to work together to address systemic challenges and foster learning environments conducive to academic success.
Columnist Kazeem Israel, commenting on an article titled “Low grades, a failing system: A call for reform,'' said, “Everywhere you look in Nigeria today, parents and other stakeholders are neglecting education.'' I can see you there.
“Parents and musicians are now telling young children that all stories about school being a gateway to a comfortable life are lies, reinforcing the 'education is a scam' mantra.
He argued that the failure of UTME was indicative of the government's failure to invest in education, and at the same time highlighted the need for parental guidance.
“This massive failure recorded in UTME not only calls for sober reflection, but also requires immediate and drastic action by the Federal Ministry of Education.
“Government should acknowledge the fact that Nigeria's education policy and even its stance are not meeting the aspirations of our teeming youth and are not meeting the needs of the labor market,” he said.
Similarly, Wilson Bucasson, commenting on the disastrous results of UTME under his official X handle @gentilo4141, said: “In Nigeria, education is no longer the key but rather money and power is the key to success. This is an observation in this modern generation supported by politicians.
Educationist Nneka Okongwu said children these days are not as smart and intelligent as older children because they are so distracted by technology and smartphones.
“Kids these days have a harder time paying attention due to consuming too much short-form visual content on TikTok, so the rigor associated with interrogation and paying attention to the final details is no longer exists.
“Instagram and TikTok are destroying an entire generation, but we're not paying attention because we're so preoccupied with the difficulties of adulthood and the trauma of being Nigerian. This is scary. ” she pointed out.
However, Marklenez Limited Media and Strategy Director Friday Erhabor believes there is nothing surprising about the 2024 UTME results. He believes this performance is not unusual.
“I think JAMB is always proving himself and maintaining a consistent standard. There are no anomalies in his performance.
“Normally, the majority of students are around 250 to 300. But this time it's a little different. There may be an increase in the number of unserious students. It may also reflect the quality of education.” He said.
