As reactions continue to trail the adoption of Computer Based Test (CBT) by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG) has thrown its weight behind the board saying it has aligned the nation’s tertiary entrance examination with global best practice.
A statement issued by the group on Sunday said resistance to the use of CBT by some persons should be expected but that this does not in any way diminish the benefits of adopting the system. NDMG’s Publicity Secretary in the United Kingdom, Engr David Onmeje said criticisms of the flaws identified in this year’s examination are not enough grounds for JAMB to discontinue using CBT but should rather be treated as areas of improvement in future examinations.
The statement noted that “All innovations have early adopters and persistent opponents but advancement always have to happen in the interest of mankind. Even countries with the more advanced technologies still have citizens that kick against innovative concept and express preference for older systems but societies that are determined to progress do not allow objections to hold them back.
“We urge Nigerians to support the CBT noting that JAMB Registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde should be commended instead of the ingratitude that criticism over the system’s teething problems amounted to”, it said.
NDMG however asked Professor Ojerinde to unveil plans for correcting identified flaws to Nigerians to further boost confidence in the examination body.
“We believe JAMB can leverage on its successful innovations in other aspects of tertiary entrance examination to convince Nigerians that CBT is the way to since the changes it had introduced in the past are now fully accepted despite the initial opposition to them.
“Online registration, unification of all entrance examinations and e-result and other innovations of JAMB are now very popular with the population even though they earlier faced similar resistance. But for us in Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group, these are things we see in other climes regularly and we are proud that Nigeria too is getting up to speed with the application of technology to vital institutions”, the statement explained.
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