Stakeholders in the South-South region have expressed differing concerns about post-UTME, with some describing it as costly and risky, while others insist that it is academically necessary.

The stakeholders expressed their views in a survey on the use of the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination as a requisite for university admissions.

Some respondents called for the scrapping of the post-UTME due to its induced risks, financial burden on parents, and also its illegality.

They also called for the acceptance of a single examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, which they said had been the legal institution authorised for such exams. On the other hand, some stakeholders applauded the post-UTME authorised by the universities, describing it as a true test of students’ brilliance, which aids them in performing well when they gain admission.

In Cross River, Effanga Ita, a parent, called on the National Assembly to legislate against post-UTME for its illegality and fraud. He stated that the post-UTME was not backed by any law, which made it illegal, adding that JAMB had been a legal and authorised body to conduct examinations in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Ita said the post-UTME originated from claims of a lack of confidence in JAMB exams by some institutions, which led them to introduce the post-UTME to further test the students’ knowledge. He cited an example of a university in the state that collected N4,000 from applicants for the post-UTME but did not conduct the screening.

Julie Abak of the Faculty of Applied Science in UniCal argued that post-UTME was a way of standardising whatever JAMB was doing. She said that when the post-UTME started, it was welcomed because many students who scored very low in JAMB turned out to be high flyers in the screening and gained admission directly.

She said that at that time, it corrected the situation where students who scored high in JAMB could not defend their grades when confronted with a strictly supervised Post-UTME.

Ms Abak said she would not appreciate the use of aggregates or grades to admit students, as such a system shut out many good candidates.

In his contribution, Earnest Asikong of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Calabar stated that historically, universities conducted interviews with their students. He explained that when JAMB was established, it became necessary to harmonise and standadise admission into universities.

He said that introducing Post-UTME  was unnecessary at present, adding that many universities that conducted it were gradually abandoning it and using the grading system.

He asserted that it would help children and parents avoid unnecessary risks, double stress, and all the challenges associated with university admission in Nigeria.

In Akwa Ibom, some parents in Uyo echoed the financial burden and risks involved in post-UTME across the country, calling for either its scrapping or the adoption of CBT-based testing in the screening process.

Etoro-obong Inyang, a parent, argued that, given the risks involved, the post-UTME had become unnecessary, especially in the era of increasing technology use.

Mr Inyang said that post-UTME added unnecessary pressure on the students, many of whom were already dealing with anxiety from the initial JAMB and the uncertainty of admission. He decried the enormous financial burden of post-UTME on parents, especially when families were struggling economically, and described the situation as a major concern.

He further argued that the scheme had become more like a revenue-generating avenue than an academic screening process. He urged the government and educational authorities to reassess the necessity of post-UTME if JAMB was functioning effectively, and encouraged institutions to use local CBT centres to bring down the risk involved.

Thomas Abia, a parent, urged the education boards and policymakers to make JAMB examinations the sole requirement for admission into tertiary institutions across the country. He said that the post-UTME had caused financial discomfort for many families while posing travel risks.

He said that, beyond the cost of the forms, students and their families spent heavily on transportation, accommodation, and food as they traveled, sometimes across multiple states, to attend the screening. According to him, the main issue is not just the cost, but the risks associated with travelling long distances to take examinations.

Mr Abia explained that the candidates were exposed to the risk of insecurity and accidents and called for the adoption of technology and online screening if the post-UTME must be continued.

He said, “The policy is more exploitative than helpful. In an economy where most households are struggling, this amounts to double or even triple spending after having already paid for JAMB.”

Tony Ita-Etim, a parent, also called on the government to scrap the post-UTME and eliminate the risks the candidates face as they travel to far places to take the tests. He argued that since it had been an internally conducted examination, it might still be laced with fraud and malpractices.

He described the post-UTME as a duplication of the already existing JAMB, which was established to serve as a standard for admission in the country.

In Rivers, Chinonye Offor, a parent, called for the elimination of multiple exams in universities to reduce risks and alleviate parents’ financial stress. She said that the registration, transportation, feeding, and accommodation for the post-UTME imposed a huge strain on low-income families.

She noted that some households spent over N50,000 per child to attend the screenings, excluding costs for feeding, accommodation, and other expenses.

Emmanuel Sule, a retired teacher, described the examination as an unnecessary duplication of the JAMB process. He said the Post-UTME undermined JAMB’s credibility and opened room for exploitation by institutions.

Paul Aliade, a student of one of the universities in the state, narrated how he travelled for 15 hours from Benue to Port Harcourt for the post-UTME. He said that the risks of long-distance travel were enormous, mainly due to insecurity in Andoni, but said he was lucky to have had a place to stay for the screening.

Perpetua Okonkwo, another student, lamented the lack of transparency despite scoring high in both the JAMB and post-UTME exams. She said she scored 290 in JAMB and 80 per cent in Port-UTME but was denied admission for the 2024/2025 session.

“It remains a mystery why many are invited for screening when institutions already know their admission quota,” she complained.

Benson Ebeleakpo, a school proprietor, called for the review of the process to reduce the number of candidates invited. He suggested virtual screening methods to minimise cost and travel risks for applicants.

Reacting to the concerns, a top official of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, who requested anonymity, defended the examination. He said the post-UTME enabled the institutions to verify candidates’ readiness for academic work beyond their JAMB results.

(NAN)