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The menace of Boko Haram on the educational sector of the
country has been tragic with over 70 teachers and 100 students
slaughtered and forcing about 15,000 potential students out of school.
This
was made known by Amnesty International in a report released on
Thursday titled “‘Keep Away From Schools or We’ll Kill You’: Education
Under Attack in Nigeria”
In its report Amnesty Inteenational
described the gruesome attacks on the educational front as an absolute
disregard for the right to life and the right to education as well as
crime against humanity.
Due to the sporadic attacks on teachers
and pupils almost all schools in Bama, Baga, Jajeri, Umarari Garnam,
Mai Malari, Mungono and Gamboru were forced to close between February
2012 and June 2013, the report stated. It called on the government to
live up to its responsibility of providing protection for schools in the
region, investigating these attacks and bringing those responsible to
justice.
The federal government has pegged the cut-off points for the just concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to 180 for Universities and 150 for polytechnics and colleges of education.
This was decided at the 4th combined policy committee meeting on admission to tertiary institutions held in Abuja yesterday.
180 has been the cut-off point for degree awarding institutions for some time now but representatives of other institutions argued that the cut-off point for polytechnics and others be reduced to 150 in order to attract students and was accepted and adopted.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai urged youths and students to enroll themselves into the innovative enterprise institutions and engage in technical and vocational education and training to help improve the economy of the nation.
She reminded institutions to adhere strictly to the admission time-table that has been prepared by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde said by next year, the examination and its conduct would be improved upon.
