Victoria Mgbanwa
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has disagreed with West African Senior School Certificate Examinations in the Nigeria (WEAC), new proposed computer-based test structure for the next Examination.
AYCF emphasized, that if such a mode of examination is introduced, it would result in mass failure for students, particularly in rural areas of northern states where computer skills are completely absent.
In a statement released on Friday, The National President of AYCF, Yerima Shettima, urged WEAC to make the CBT exams optional, and candidates should be allowed to choose between the traditional pen-and-paper format and the computer-based approach.
He said, “Research conducted by the Forum in selected northern states, such as Zamfara, Jigawa, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Plateau, revealed that the CBT exams had consistently led to misleading failure rates among students attending public schools, where computer skills were often not taught.
“The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board CBT exams have placed underprivileged students in a predicament as they struggle to answer questions in a format they are unfamiliar with.
“Many students who failed the CBT-based JAMB exams last year argued that their failures were a result of systemic failures, including insufficient facilities or network failures during the exams. Additionally, a lack of proper and adequate computer skills, coupled with outdated desktop computers that are not properly maintained by CBT centers further exacerbate the situation.”
Yerima also emphasized that the call became imperative to prevent a massive failure rate among students who deserved fair and equal opportunities for success.
