NUT OPPOSES FG’S PLAN TO EXEMPT NCE CANDIDATES FROM JAMB EXAMS. (PHOTO).

 NUT Opposes FG’s Plan To Exempt NCE Candidates From JAMB Exams

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kaduna State has backed the National Executive Council’s opposition to the Federal Government’s decision to exempt candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education from writing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination.

In a statement signed by the union’s chairman and secretary, Ibrahim Dalhatu and Adamu Ayuba Kaltungo, the NUT described the policy as counterproductive, warning that it could lower the quality of teacher education and negatively affect Nigeria’s education system.

The union stressed that teaching is a highly intellectual and strategic profession that requires a competitive and rigorous admission process.

According to the statement, removing the JAMB requirement could create the impression that the teaching profession is meant for academically weak candidates or “all-comers.”

The NUT further noted that the profession already suffers from low public esteem, and such a move would worsen the perception that teaching is merely a last-resort career. It added that countries with strong education systems recruit teachers from among their brightest students, making the proposed exemption inconsistent with global best practices.

The union also argued that the decision could undermine ongoing reforms by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) aimed at restoring respect and professionalism to teaching.

Rather than scrapping the JAMB requirement, the NUT urged the Federal Government to focus on improving teachers’ welfare, salaries, and incentives in order to attract talented candidates into the profession.

It also recommended scholarships, bursaries, and special incentives for education students, while maintaining admission standards. 

The union further called for the full implementation of the 2022 education-related bill signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari, saying it could address the concerns the government hopes to solve through the exemption policy.