THE Federal Government may consider re-introduction of paper-pencil mode of Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination (UTME) to take care of the interest of vastnumber of Nigerians who have been excluded by the use of Computer-Based Test (CBT).
Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu, gave thisindication on Tuesday in Abuja during the ongoing UTME being conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB).
This is even as the Registrar and Chief Executive of theJoint Admissions and Matriculations Board, Professor 'Dibu Ojerinde has disclosed that over 200, 000 results of candidates who sat for the ongoing UTME have so far been released.
The results released are for the candidates who sat for the Computer-Based Test on Saturday, and Monday across the country and seven foreign centres.
The Minister, who expressed concern about thousands of Nigerians who are not computer literate to be able totake the examination, said the paper-pencil could be re-introduced until such a time more Nigerians, especially those in rural communities become computer literate.
Adamu, however, said he was satisfied with the conduct of the CBT mode of the examination so far, adding that he was glad the board has addressed mostof his concerns and other Nigerians.
He said: "I seem to be very comfortable and happy withwhat they are doing. But my question has not been answered; that there are many people who are not computer literate, so, what do you do with them. I do not have reservation about CBT but sympathy for those who are not computer literate and there are many of them.
When asked if he suggested that the Board re-introduce paper-pencil mode of examination alongside CBT, the Minister said, "I think so; for some time. But certainly the future is for computer."
When further prodded on the relevance of the paper-pencil mode of examination, two years after it was phased out, Adamu asked the journalist back, "how long do you think is a reasonable period?"Prof Ojerinde, had disclosed that results of over 68,000 candidates were released within 2 hours on Saturday, the first day of the examination in which a total of 72, 000 candidates sat for the CBT.
According to him, the Board recorded about 2000 absentees on Saturday while over 100, 000 results were released on Monday within two hours after the conclusion of the examination on Monday.Ojerinde also disclosed that the National Communication Commission (NCC) has been mandated to construct at least four CBT centres annually for JAMB.
He added that the first four were onand that the next four will soon be on.It would be recalled that JAMB, in the quest to deal withthe issue of examination malpractices as well as reduce the cost of conduct the UTME, introduced the Computer-Based Test and was tested for some years before going 100 per cent CBT in 2015.
In 2014 UTME, three modes were used: the traditional paper-pencil mode; dual mode that is Computer/paper mode and CBT. After series of consultations and sensitisation of Nigerians, the National Council on Education (NCE), which is the highest policy making body in Education approved complete transition to CBTeffective from last year.
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