NUT Rejects FG’s Plan to Exempt NCE Candidates from JAMB

The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Kaduna State chapter, has backed the position of the union’s National Executive Council, urging the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Education to reverse plans to exempt candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education from sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

The union described the proposed policy as counterproductive, warning that it could undermine the quality of teacher education and further weaken standards in Nigeria’s education sector.

In a joint statement issued by the state chairman and secretary of the union, Ibrahim Dalhatu and Adamu Ayuba Kaltungo, the NUT argued that removing the JAMB requirement for candidates seeking admission into the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme would portray teaching as a profession meant for academically weak students.

According to the statement, teaching remains a highly intellectual and strategic profession that requires a rigorous and competitive training process.

“Excluding candidates from taking the examination will imply that the profession is for academically weak candidates and ‘all comers’,” the union stated.

The union further lamented that the teaching profession is already battling low public esteem, noting that such a move would reinforce the perception that teaching is merely a “last resort” career option.

The Kaduna NUT maintained that the proposal runs contrary to global best practices, stressing that countries with strong education systems recruit teachers from among their brightest and best-performing students.

It warned that exempting NCE candidates from JAMB would weaken ongoing reforms by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria aimed at repositioning teaching as a respected and professional career.

Rather than lowering admission requirements, the union urged the Federal Government to focus on improving teachers’ welfare, remuneration, and working conditions to attract more talented candidates into the profession.

The NUT also recommended the introduction of scholarships, bursaries, and special incentives for students studying education courses, while maintaining admission standards.

In addition, the union called for the full implementation of the teachers’ welfare bill signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari on April 9, 2022, insisting that the legislation already contains measures capable of addressing the challenges the government seeks to solve through the proposed exemption policy.