By Jemimah Wellington, JKNMedia Reporter
TO ENSURE the integrity of the 2024 United Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has issued a stern directive to Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre owners, instructing them to apprehend any parent found near their facilities during the exam period.
This directive comes in response to past instances of parental intrusion during JAMB exams.
The dictate was conveyed during the final briefing of CBT centre owners, conducted virtually on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, the Registrar of JAMB, emphasized that any parent disobeying this order would not only face arrest but also result in their ward’s disqualification from the examination.
The necessity for this measure arises from the disruptive behaviour exhibited by some parents in previous JAMB exercises.
Prof Oloyede highlighted that certain parents have been implicated in facilitating examination malpractices, while others have caused disruptions during exams.
Additionally, there have been instances of individuals posing as parents to gain unauthorized access to exam centres and engage in illicit activities.
To enforce this directive, JAMB has instructed security operatives to collaborate with CBT centres in apprehending any meddling parents attempting to approach exam venues.
The Registrar pointed out that according to national education policies, candidates must be at least 17 years old to sit for the UTME, implying that parents accompanying underage children are attempting to compromise exam officials.
Furthermore, JAMB took the opportunity to caution candidates about safeguarding their personal information, including email addresses, registration details, and phone numbers, to prevent exploitation by fraudulent websites.
Candidates are also warned that if their details are found on such platforms, they would be treated as accomplices and face prosecution.
Regarding the logistics of the 2024 UTME, Prof Oloyede gave assurances that preparations have been finalized for the exam to take place across over 700 CBT centres nationwide.
While anticipating a smooth process, he said JAMB has made contingency plans to address any technical glitches that may arise during the examination.
In the event of technical challenges during a session, candidates in subsequent sessions will proceed as scheduled while affected candidates will be rescheduled for later sessions.
He cautioned that any disruption caused by candidates or parents due to technical issues will result in disqualification from the examination.
Prof Oloyede further addressed CBT center owners to view their role as a national service rather than solely a profit-driven enterprise, calling upon them to identify and expose any unethical practices among their ranks.
The JAMB registrar also highlighted the discontinuation of allowing CBT centres to register Direct entry candidates due to instances of fraudulent behaviour as he cautioned center owners against engaging in such misconduct, emphasizing the consequences of losing opportunities due to malpractice.
Conclusively, Prof Oloyede revealed the deployment of advanced technologies by JAMB to detect and prevent various forms of malpractice and collusion with exam staff.
He urged the candidates and CBT centres to cooperate fully with JAMB’s efforts to maintain the integrity of the UTME.
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