ASUU AGAINST FG's DECISION OF SCRAPPING OF POST-UTME
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on
Wednesday, kicked against the Federal Government’s directive for tertiary
institutions to scrap the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination,
Post-UTME, for admission of candidates for the 2016/2017 academic session, saying
the quality of tertiary education in the country could improve if the
institutions are allowed to regulate their students’ admission process.
ASUU President, Comrade Biodun Ogunyemi, said such freedom
would enhance the quality of education.
Recall that at a recent joint policy meeting to decide the
cut off mark for students seeking admission into the universities, the
government announced the scrapping of post-unified tertiary matriculation
examination (UTME).
The Post UTME is the second stage of screening usually
conducted by universities for the final selection of candidates qualified for
admission for an academic session.
Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu had threatened to
sanction any university or tertiary institution found conducting examinations
under any guise to admit students.
He further directed tertiary institutions that had collected
money from candidates for such purposes to immediately refund it or face
appropriate sanctions.
The ASUU boss told NAN that such directive encroached on the
autonomy of the institutions.
“I think government should give these institutions the
chance to regulate themselves,” he said.
“They should decide for themselves, the process they dim fit
to admit their students. The Senate of universities for example, should decide
on the process they want to use in selecting candidates.
“We do not think it’s right for government to decide the
method of screening of the candidates, indeed, we want to attain some level of
sanity and quality in the system.”
The unionist added that government could only come into the
process by putting in place the necessary guidelines as part of their oversight
functions.
According to him, it may not also be easy for institutions
that had already collected money for the conduct of the post-UTME or screening
in whatever guise to refund such money.
He added that this was because such money could have been
diverted to other purposes.
Ogunyemi noted that most universities were under-funded and
therefore, might have used some of the money to attend to urgent needs of the
institution.
“Some of the arguments raised in this entire episode is that
universities or tertiary institutions were using the conduct of such
examination to make money,” he said.
“But the truth is, these institutions are poorly funded. If
universities for example are properly funded, will the vice-chancellors be
looking for other means of making money?
“In the last seven months, university workers have been
receiving incomplete salaries, that is, the disbursement of funds for payment
of salaries has always been inadequate.
“When situations like this arise, the managements will not
be left with any choice than to look inwards and seek means of meeting such
needs.
'And one of such strategies is by conducting such
examination.'Ogunyemi noted that the state universities were worst hit for many of them had yet to receive subvention in the last one year.
“Actually we in ASUU frown at extortion of any type from students or candidates but the government too should be alive to its responsibilities by providing the enabling environment that will aid teaching, leaning and research.”
ASUU AGAINST FG's DECISION OF SCRAPPING OF POST-UTME
Reviewed by adeyemo nathaniel
on
Thursday, June 30, 2016
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