Posted by From Juliana Taiwo in Abuja on
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) yesterday expressed unhappiness over the dwindling interest youths were showing in Monotechnics, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Matriculation Examination (PCE).
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) yesterday expressed unhappiness over the dwindling interest youths were showing in Monotechnics, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Matriculation Examination (PCE).
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Bello Salim, raised the alarm, lamenting that technological development in the country was in grave danger if the trend was not checked.
He said about 150,000 candidates were expected to sit for this year's examination this weekend, adding that "this number compare to 215,000 candidates who sat for the 2004 Poly JAMB indicates a decrease of 30.24 per cent."
He said Nigerian youths were systematically shunning technical and teacher education, judging from the pattern of application for the forth-coming examination and in the last couple of years.
Warning that the development, no doubt, portends great danger for the nation's quest for technological development, he said like the University Matriculation Examination (UME), JAMB management has uncovered plans by many unscrupulous elements to carry out examination malpractice and that JAMB alongside security agents would raid the centres come Saturday.
"With its zero tolerance for examination malpractice, JAMB wishes to remind the public that it will invoke the Examination Malpractices Act No. 33 of 1999 which prescribes stiff for perpetrators of Examination Malpractices."The Board would therefore not hesitate to invoke the penalties on person(s) found guilty of offences under this Act," he said.