The Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayat Rufai has expressed confidence that the continuous use of the biometric verification exercise introduced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will eradicate all forms of examination malpractices.
Speaking in Abuja while monitoring the conduct of the 2012 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), Professor Rufai said “the federal government will continue to work towards improving the nation’s standard of education at all levels.”
Also, JAMB registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, has stated that 2012 UTME was “extremely successful in all the centres”, he said, noting the use of the biometric data capturing machine recorded an “extraordinary” success when compared to the performance of the machines in the same examinations in 2011.
“The machine has helped us a great deal to solve the challenge of impersonation, late coming and absenteeism. A major hurdle for the board was dealing with the problem of impersonation and with the use of this machine; there was no case of impersonation recorded at the 2012 UTME. So, I would say that the use of the biometric capturing system was a success since it was able to address the major issues of impersonation and exam malpractice” stated Professor Ojerinde.
The Registrar also noted that the initial fears of security in some parts of the country was not entertained while the exams lasted, as he stated that “everything went well.” Prof. Ojerinde had initially threatned that the UTME might not hold in some states in the north, where fundametalist sect, Boko Haram was staging attacks against academic institutions.
The UTME was organized across the country and a number foreign country with a record over 1.5million students sitting for the entrance exams into the nation’s ivory towers.
In Lagos, some of the biometrics data capturing machine malfunctioned.
Speaking with deputy director, JAMB’s zonal office Benin, who was in charge of Lagos Island West, Mrs Agatha Bosini, however stated that, less than 20 cases of exam malpractice was discovered while she also confirmed the success recorded with the use of biometric machines.
“We had serious problems when we introduced the biometric system last year, but this not the case this year.” “We have not been able to register up to 20 cases this year” she added.
Results of the UTME are expected out in a matter of days.