.Removing mathematics as admission requirement for arts, humanities will curb forgery–Oloyede
.Parents, teachers fault mathematics waiver, advocate pass grade.
The Federal Government has said Mathematics is a compulsory subject for all students sitting for O-Level examinations.
This was conveyed in a press statement issued by Boriowo Folashade, spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Education, on Sunday.
Earlier on Tuesday, Boriowo had announced that senior secondary school students in the arts and humanities would no longer be required to present a credit in Mathematics in their Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) for tertiary admissions.
Boriowo had stated that the reform became necessary after years of restricted access, which denied many qualified candidates admission opportunities.
She had said while over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination annually, only about 700,000 gain admission.
However, the issue had generated controversy as some educationists rejected the policy shift, saying it would further encourage laziness among students and negatively impact their academic excellence and performance.
But in the new statement, Boriowo said the new admission guidelines do not exempt any candidate from registering and sitting for Mathematics.
“All students must continue to register and sit for English Language and Mathematics in their O-Level examinations,” the statement read.
The statement added that while institutions may now admit candidates into certain programmes where credit passes in either English or Mathematics are not mandatory, students are still required to take both subjects during their O-Level exams.
“This adjustment affects only admission criteria, not the requirement to take these subjects,” she clarified.
According to the statement, the reform supports the Federal Government’s vision of equitable access, inclusivity, and human capital development.
“English and Mathematics remain vital tools for communication, reasoning, and lifelong learning,” the Ministry noted.
The Ministry also urged students, parents, and stakeholders to rely solely on official communication channels for verified policy updates
.Removing mathematics as admission requirement for arts, humanities will curb forgery–Oloyede
However, Prof. Ishaq Oloyed, the Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB), has said the decision of the Federal Government to remove mathematics as requirement for students seeking admission to study courses in arts and humanities in higher institutions was to curb forgery.
Oloyede said this during the formal opening ceremony of the Jihad week programme organised by Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), University of Ibadan, and inauguration of Ad-dhikr Magazine, on Sunday in Ibadan.
The JAMB registrar said that the policy had long been in existence, but not implemented and what the Ministry of Education did was to align the policy with the reality on ground in order to discourage forgery.
“How will you say somebody who wants to study Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa or Arabic should not have university admission because of not having mathematics, when such person could go to London University to study Yoruba without mathematics.
“What the Ministry of Education is doing is realigning the policy with the reality on ground and it is our interest not to encourage forgery,” the JAMB registrar said.
Oloyede, a guest lecturer, who spoke on the event’s theme: “The Paragon”, said that a paragon was someone to be emulated, urging all Muslims to strive to be a paragon and a role model wherever they are.
He said that the MSSN, being a Muslim mass movement organisation, must ensure to bring all Muslims together without discrimination and propagate Islam, not only by preaching, but also by their conducts.
“MSSN has the capacity to invite people to see the beauty of Islam and the current MSSN must continue to do that, build genuine and sincere relationship among one another,” the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin said.
Also, the Chairman of the occasion, Mr Idris Adeoye,commended the founding fathers of MSSN for nurturing and guiding Muslim students, urging the students to be a complete Muslims and ambassadors of Islam.
Adeoye urged Nigerian youths to believe in the country and shun acts that could jeopardise their future.
Earlier, the Ameer of MSSN, University of Ibadan, Umar Faruq, said it was worrisome that a lot of abnormalities in the society were seen as being normal and anyone attempting to correct it was termed wicked.
Faruq called Muslims, especially the youths, to shun internet fraud, alcohol consumption and others things that are against the dictate of God and the Quran.
“As Muslims we must stand tall and be role models in our deeds, academically, spiritually and mentally,” he said.
Also speaking, Vice President of Muslim Ummah, South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti, said that the MSSN has a vital role to play not only in Islam but also in educational development of Nigeria.
Ebiti said things are changing in the society and MSSN needs to adapt positively to those changes and bring more Muslims on board without descrimination.
MSSN is a large Islamic student organisation founded in 1954 to promote Islamic education, unity, and welfare among Muslim students across Nigeria. It is a major student organisation that engages in socio-cultural, educational, and religious activities, including vocational training, leadership programmes, and inter-school competitions.
.Parents, teachers fault mathematics waiver, advocate pass grade.
Meanwhile, The National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) has opposed moves by the Federal Government to make Mathematics non-compulsory for arts students seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
Mr Adeolu Ogunbanjo, Chairman Board of Trustees of NAPTAN, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday described the idea as ‘misguided and risky’.
Recall that the Federal Ministry of Education, in a statement by its spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, had announced a review of admission requirements for students in the arts and humanities.
Under the new guideline, senior secondary school students in these fields will no longer be required to present a credit in Mathematics in their Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) for tertiary admissions.
Boriowo stated that the reform became necessary after years of restricted access, which denied many qualified candidates admission opportunities.
The Ministry’s spokesperson added that while no fewer than two million candidates sit the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) annually, only about 700,000 gain admission.
Ogunbanjo asserted that Mathematics remained vital to all disciplines, including arts and humanities, as most professions and entrepreneurial ventures required basic numeracy skills to thrive in today’s competitive economy.
He said that while students in the arts may not require an advanced grasp of Mathematics, a pass in the subject should remain a prerequisite for admission into higher institutions.
“Every profession needs a bit of Mathematics. From budgeting to business planning, you cannot do without it. A total cancellation of Mathematics for art students is wrong and should be discouraged.
“Rather than demanding a credit in Mathematics for admission, a pass will be fair and reasonable. That way, students maintain basic numeracy without being unfairly excluded from tertiary education,” the association added.
The NAPTAN official, therefore, called on education policymakers to carefully review the implications of removing Mathematics from admission requirements.
According to him, such a move can weaken the academic foundation of students and limit their long-term career prospects, hence the need for a pass to be required for admission into tertiary institutions. (NAN)
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