Only 24,000 candidates will be selected amongst the over 40,000 successful candidates, who participated in the recent National Common Entrance Examination, the registrar of the National Examinations Council, Promise Okpala, has said.
All 40,000 candidates will take a selection test organised by the National Examinations Council on July 12. The test is for admission of candidates into JSS 1 in the 104 Unity Colleges across the country.
Over 100,000 candidates participated in the National Common Entrance Examination which held across the country in April.
Mr. Okpala explained that the purpose of the second test, which would take place in 172 centres in major cities across the country, is to select the best candidates.
He said that the Federal Government in its quest for accelerated growth and national transformation is putting machinery in place that would guarantee a better future for the Nigerian child and the nation at large.
“The idea behind the second selection test is to ensure that only the best are admitted into our Unity colleges, which have been perceived to be model colleges.
“If we must battle the issue of mass failure, then we must work on quality. So, if we must ensure that we remain models to others we must strive to put the necessary machinery in place that will sustain the status.
“The Unity colleges in the country have all what it takes to groom our children and make them compete favourably with their counterparts anywhere in the world.
“Government is not allowing anything to chance when it comes to education at all levels in the country. It is even more serious with education at the basic level which is the foundation.
“The colleges must remain a rallying point where Nigerian children come together, irrespective of tribe, class or culture.”
He said it is as a result of poor foundation at the basic level that we normally record mass failures in major examinations and that is what government is trying to correct.
Mr. Okpala, however, said that in spite of the strategy put in place to sanitise the sector at the secondary school level, a lot still needed to be done to achieve a more improved and qualitative education.
The registrar said that the registration of candidates would commence at 11 a.m., while the examination would start nationwide simultaneously by noon.
He said that the council had also concluded security arrangements around the various centres where the examination would hold.
Mr. Okpala pleaded with parents to prepare their children and wards adequately and ensure they get to their respective centres for the examination early.
(NAN)
