The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to exempt candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education from writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
In a statement, NUT President Dr. Titus Amba warned that the policy could further erode standards in the teaching profession.
He argued that exempting prospective teachers from a uniform entrance examination would lower the quality of candidates entering the profession and devalue the status of teaching in Nigeria.
The union urged the government to reconsider the decision and instead focus on improving infrastructure and training within the nation’s colleges of education.
The policy, announced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), was intended to boost enrolment and address teacher shortages.
However, the NUT insists that it is a short-term fix that ignores the root causes of poor teacher quality. Stakeholders in the education sector have called for wider consultation before implementation.
