Lawmakers Jobs: Stop Post UME in Nigerian Universities

The House of Representatives has mandated the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission, to promptly discontinue the post-University Matriculation Examination (UME) also known as post UME screening test conducted annually in Nigerian universities.

In a sweeping decision yesterday, lawmakers voted to support a resolution put forward by a member, Samson Positive, who argued that tertiary schools have abused the post- screening tests, applying it rather as a fund raiser.

“The problems of prospective candidates for university admissions have been further compounded with the introduction of this test and rather than good, our educational system has been worsened by it,” said Mr. Positive, who represents Kogi state.

The lawmakers also faulted the incoherent organization of the examinations which have had candidates placed for tests the same day at separate schools they listed as first and second choices during application.

The decision had been expected after the House Rules Committee, listed the matter for discussion earlier the week but failed short of adopting a position after repeated rescheduling.

In the days building up to Thursday sitting, many lawmakers have spoken in similar vein against the admission test which has run in the institutions for more than five years.

Cash cow

They argued yesterday that institutions in the country have converted the test, earlier introduced as a supplement to the conventional UME, to a quick source of raising funds from students and parents alike.

“This has become a very worrisome issue today- serving as an avenue for extortion and exploitation,” said three-term member Farouk Lawan, who heads the House committee on Education.

After its introduction in 2006, subscriptions for the test in universities and polytechnics across the country have been independently decided by different institutions with some charging prospective students as much as N10, 000 for the one-day aptitude.

The charges continued after the NUC directed in 2009 that such payments not exceed N1000, if they should be made.