Consequence of abolition of post-UTME disastrous – Don

To prevent the increase in the drop-out rate
and in the prevalence of social vices and the
resulting psychopathology, a university don
has called for the reinstatement of Post-
Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination
(UTME).
Prof Ebenezer Olutope Akinnawo, a
professor of Clinical Psychology at
Redeemer's University, Ede, insisted that the
abolition of Post UTME by the federal
government is retrogressive.
Akinnawo who made the submission while
delivering the 3rd in the series of inaugural
lectures of the Redeemer university insisted
that the predictive validity of Joint
Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB)
scores is low and inconsistent across
disciplines and levels in the universities.
According to him, the implication of relying
only on the scores of JAMB is either wrong
selection of misplacement of students
irrespective of their ability or interest.
He contended that the study conducted on
the Obafemi Awolowo University and Ondo
State University on the subject matter
revealed that the ability of JAMB scores to
predict academic performance in the first
one year of admission varies from the
ability to predict performance in the
subsequent years adding that the predictive
validity becomes low with time.
Professor Akinnawo noted that the ability
of the JME scores to predict academic
performance of students varies from one
Faculty to the other.
He insisted that each University should be
involved in vigorous Post UTME for selection
process.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Z
Debo Adeyewa said Redeemer University
have traversed the difficult scientific and
community terrains to bring unique
solutions to societal problems.
According to him, the rapid diagnostic tools
specifically developed to unravel the fearful
Ebola virus and Lassa fever remained
unparalleled in the local and global
community.