A bill seeking to make Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results valid for four years passed the second reading in the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Okay.ng reports that the examination is conducted yearly by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The amendment to the JAMB Act was sponsored by a member of the House from Oyo State, Tolulope Sadipe, at the plenary in Abuja.
Sadipe, who led the debate on the bill, expressed regret that many who got good grades in JAMB ultimately failed to secure admission to universities or polytechnics.
She said: “When you look at the number of students that apply for university admissions every year and the number that eventually gets in, it is definitely not their fault, so, why should they be penalised?
“Everywhere in the world, there is no exam that is valid for one year. Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is valid forever.
“Most universities across the world value such exams for at least five years, but here in Nigeria, JAMB is valid for just one entry and if you do not get it, you repeat it.
“I think this is totally unfair, there are a lot of children in this country, whose parents are struggling to put them through school.
However, two other lawmakers, Nkem Abonta and Chinyere Igwe, opposed the extension of the UTME validity beyond one year.
Igwe insisted that there was a difference between an entry test and a terminal examination.
He said: “JAMB is an entry examination with the purpose of securing admission into a university, polytechnic or colleges of education, with a view to earning a terminal qualification.”
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Ahmed Wase,who presided over the plenary, referred the bill to the relevant committees of the House for further legislative actions.
