Lowering UTME cut-off marks will create level playing ground for students – Bells VC

The Vice Chancellor, Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun, Prof. Jeremiah Ojediran, says lowering Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UMTE) cut-off marks will create a level playing ground for students seeking admission.

Ojediran made this known in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday in Ota.

It was reported that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and heads of tertiary institutions had on July 21 fixed 140 cut off marks for universities and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education.

Ojediran noted that continuous lowering of UMTE cut-off marks for students seeking admission would not worsen the standard of education in the country.

“It does not really affect standard as such, but what really matter is the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) results when it comes to standard of admission into the university,” he said.

The vice chancellor said that the JAMB was constituted to ensure that students were not given double admissions and to streamline admissions within the country.

Ojediran noted that lowering institutional cut-off mark was to safeguard those institutions who want to fix their cut-off marks below the 140 stipulated by JAMB.

He said that there were some students who scored 360 last year and did not get admission into the university because the students did not have five O`level credits.

“JAMB result is a prerequisite requirement but what qualify a student are the five O`level credits,” he said.

Ojediran said there was a need to create a level playing ground for students since there were students who made 180 and entered into the institution and made First Class or end up being the best graduating students.

“We have also seen students who scored 360 in JAMB but could not compete with students who scored 180 when admitted into the university,” he said.

The vice chancellor urged the Federal Government to address the decay in infrastructure in various institutions in order to churn out quality graduates.