NECO registrar explains disparity in cut-off marks for unity schools
Adetokunbo Fakeye
The Registrar, National Examination Council (NECO), Prof. Abdulrashid Garba on Saturday explained why cut-off marks for the National Common Entrance Examination(NCEE) into unity colleges varies from state to state.
According to Garba who spoke through the Abuja Liason Officer of NECO Mr Abdul Mustapha while monitoring the National Common Entrance interview into Federal Government Colleges, at Government Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3; said it was not actually the score alone that determines whether a child qualifies or not.
“In every state, ranking is done; if you want to admit 6000 students in a state for instance, then you rank from the score of the first person to where the score of the 6000th person stops and that becomes the cut-off mark.
“Performances vary from state to state; you hear parents say I am from so and so state and my child score high but was not admitted but another child from another state was admitted.
“It is so because the cut -off marks for such disadvantaged states are usually lower; there is a clear cut criteria and it is only for the parents to know the criteria.
“These school are unity colleges which means you must take along all parts of the country,’’ he said.
The registrar said that every part of Nigeria must be adequately represented in those schools hence the variance in cut-off marks from state to state.
Dr MacJohn Nwaobiala, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, said that the unity colleges had places for about 24,000 but close to 36,000 sat for the interview.
The PS who posited that, Education is the right of every Nigerian child and government will do everything possible to ensure that we have all these children in schools.
He however said that those that might not be absorbed in the unity schools would still have opportunities in other schools.
Mr Mwaobiala confirmed that In terms of quality of teaching in the Unity Colleges, they have better teachers and facilities, adding, the fees in the unity is also low and that explains why lots of parents want their children to attend unity schools.
The results of the interview according to him are expected to be released by NECO to the Federal Ministry of Education on June 17.
The PS also explained that experts from the ministry and principals of the colleges would undertake a selection and placement exercise between June 21 and June 25.
He said that admitted candidates were to check the status of their admissions both at the various unity colleges and online at www.fmeinterviewtest.com from June 29.
