My son Walid Sadiq Ibrahim sat for this year’s JAMB and he made it with close to 300 points. I was told by his teachers that he was best in his class, not in the whole school though.
But that is not why I wrote this on this Friday morning. I wrote this because I am concerned that my son passed but many pupils failed JAMB this year. I am even more concerned that my son did not pass because he is more brilliant than those who failed, but he passed because those others who failed had no equal opportunity with my son.
If my son was in Dasin or Fufore, I am sure he too would fail. In other words, in Nigeria, a student fails JAMB examination depending on whether he or she has the opportunity to pass. I have written on this before. My believe is reinforced today by what I read from a Watsapp Group I belong, in which the members are 99% from the south and more than hals of them living in Lagos. I culled this from the group. Please read on.
“From my little experience in the just concluded JAMB most of the candidates do not know how to use a Computer to write the Exams. In the Center that I was so many were sitting down looking at the Computer after the announcement that they should type their registration number and login in.
When I went round to find out what could be the problem here are some answers I got:
- I don’t know how to use Capital letters- that is the two alphabet at the end of their registration number.
- I made mistake and I don’t know how to delete the number.
- I don’t know the key to use and Choose the answer
- I don’t know how to get to the next question
- I don’t know how to change to the next subject
- I don’t know how to submit and end the exams.
- So many don’t know how to use the Mouse and the Keyboard.
- I don’t know where I can find Calculator on the Screen and many more.
It was was so frustrating that even when you direct them to press this key or Click on the Mouse the person will ask you Mma pls where is it. And they will do as if it will bite them. I felt for one when I discovered that he answered only 3 questions out of 180 and he told me that he answered all the questions. I showed him on the Screen. I discovered that he was not Clicking on the right bullet that is why his questions were on red. The only three he had was the one I showed him where to Click earlier since he was always raising his hands.
Most Students are ignorant that any question answered will automatically turn from red to green.
There are some very current in dressings with long hair but have no idea of what is expected of them.
You can imagine this number of Students in all the Centers.
My Suggestion is that the Students should be Sensitized in all the Schools especially those in the remote villages that have no access to Computers. Even those in the town.
In each session of the exams only 10% seems to know what to do and submitted on time. Many were logged out at the end of the exams with so many unanswered questions.
From this experience I think there is no exaggeration in the JAMB result as announced.
Please let’s help our Children and relatives, it is not by buying them big phones and spending most of their time in social media. Let us encourage them and find out how prepared they are for the exams”
The end.
I urge, as Sadiq Dasin, that we need to be more serious on education especially in the north. If we do not, those of our children in our state of Adamawa who did not pass JAMB this year, may rewrite the examination several times but would not pass. Not because they aren’t brilliant but because they lack the opportunity.
I was informed that there is no one CBT Center in the whole of Gombi LGA. I don’t know about other LGAs but I know there is none in Fufore LGA. In fact in Fufore, as at 1977 there was only one secondary school; that’s Govt. Sec. Sch. Fufore. But today we have 48 secondary schools; 19 Senior and 29 Junior. Many in Fufore LGA would therefore end their educational qualifications with ADSU or SPY certificate.
Please let’s be serious about education. We are left far behind.
