Legendary American Civil rights leader, Malcolm X once stated that education is the passport to the future. He was not just talking of ability to read, write and to be able to solve simple arithmetic problems but qualitative education based on integrity and product of hard work and dedication to learning.
It is a well-known fact that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has dedicated over three decades of facilitating easy entry into higher institutions of learning in Nigeria but the examination body can still explore modern technologies to enhance its operations, especially in the areas of examinations; by embracing the computer-based system and ditching the age-long paper-based examination system for good.
My attention was brought to the article published on Tuesday, June 02, 2009 in the Guardian newspapers titled “JAMB: Speed without accuracy” by Luke Onyekakeyah where the writer lamented the lapses of the examination board to conduct hitch-free examination to prospective undergraduates and questioned the credibility of the manipulative final results due to 'human error' as stated by the JAMB registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde.
"Considering the large number of candidates that sat for the examination (over 1.2 million), many think that it is impossible for JAMB to mark that number of scripts and have them properly organised in two days. This is more so when it is known that electricity is not available throughout the country. Certainly, this would create problems assuming that JAMB had directed its staffers across the federation to work for 24 hours none stop. Notwithstanding the use of Internet Computer Technology (ICT), it would still be hard in Nigeria's context to accomplish that feat. The ICT is not yet widespread. And, by the way, why rush to release the result in five days? That is not necessary.
Although, JAMB has not made any formal public statement on the matter of scores change, its registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde was reported as saying that there was no cause for alarm, as the board had not re-marked any script. The registrar was reported to have admitted that "the board's website operators made some mistakes while uploading some results on the board's website". According to him, "the data was wrongfully loaded and it is being corrected. It is not that physics was re-marked...It was a mistake on the part of the website operators."
We all appreciate the input of JAMB registrar Professor Dibu Ojerinde since assuming office, JAMB has computerised its activities in order to blend with the urgent demands of the 21st century in their registrations, form procurements and checking of examination results .This has eventually motivated teeming candidates to develop keen interest in computer education as they flock to various computer centres ,cyber cafes to check results and register for the matriculation exams through the purchase of scratch cards from selected banks and designated outlets. Even, those residing in the rural areas or far from the reach of computer centres and cyber cafes are willing to travel miles to check their results online.
Let us flash back to discuss the problems of JAMB as one of the foremost examination bodies in Nigeria. We remember the leakages of yesteryears, malpractices, impersonations of candidates, late arrivals of invigilators and examination materials which undermined the integrity of the process. These are issues that are being addressed by JAMB under the watch of Prof. Ojerinde but a fully electronic exam process will resolve all issues mentioned above. Furthermore, we have been informed by JAMB of a proposed “combined examination” namely UME, NCE, etc but without implementing an electronic platform, there will be more chaos, misplaced results, more sleepless nights for JAMB team and angry candidates and parents.
Nigerians expect JAMB to be exemplary in conducting a ‘free and fair’ examination and to inculcate the spirit of ‘speed with accuracy’ and not just rushing to mark the examination papers which are prone to human errors due to lack of enough time to collate, assess and release the final outcome. JAMB may as well do away with paper-based exams.
The last UME was taken on 4th of April, 2009 but Jamb quickly released the results five days later as if under deadline or ‘official’ pressure to clear the backlog of papers and examination materials in its office, and this has really caused lots of psychological trauma and apprehension for the parents and candidates due to the shoddy job done. It is a well known fact that since the release of such results, there were series of complaints from the candidates about the alterations of scored marks released especially in Physics subject. If Physics scores could be manipulated upward due to human error, other major subjects like Biology, English language, Chemistry, Mathematics and Geography could also suffer same fate, thereby eroding the confidence and making a mess of the whole examination process. This recent lapse will also encourage universities to continue milking prospective undergraduates under the guise of post-UME exams.
So what is the way forward for UME? The management of JAMB need to adopt a holistic approach by speeding up the process of “digitizing” the entire examination process. UME is a 3-phase process namely registration, examination and results. JAMB must be commended for computerising its registration (E-REGISTRATION) and release of result online (E-RESULT) but the examination which is the most important and core of the entire process is still crudely manual (paper-based), which means we have a manual compilation of results from paper-based examinations which are later fed into a computer system to generate final e-results. There are bound to be mistakes due to human error and this process is an open avenue for bribery and corruption as any selfish member of the manual uploading team can either manipulate, falsify or change results upon paper examination scanning. The continued procrastination of JAMB in implementing an electronic platform for its exam is the enemy of UME’s success!
There is an urgent need for JAMB to step-up and automate the examination module of UME in order to have a fully electronic examination process from the initial registration to final release of results. This is the only practical way forward for JAMB. A situation where you have a combination of electronic and manual processing is destined and pre-designed to fail, such process is open to abuse and misuse coupled with lack of understanding of basic information and communication technologies.
Modern technology is readily available, the ability to conduct the exams electronically is not beyond human reach, and manpower skills to implement the whole process are around the corner. JAMB will just have to project workable strategies and boldly grab the bull by the horn to complete the electronic process by adopting an electronic platform to deliver the exams in totality without further delays; this is what is expected in the 21st century from a country like Nigeria. Examinations that are expected to produce and nurture ‘leaders of tomorrow’ need to be just, credible and free from all sorts of controversy.
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