OUR COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE

"Ada was not the most intelligent of students in her days but she majored up nicely to have been granted a university education. Like most of her peers, she was an average student.

Her West African Examination Council (WAEC) result was a testament to her average but commendable academic status. She got credits in her English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. A D in Agric science, and B2 in Igbo language and Christian Religious Knowledge. So also wrote literature-in-English language but it was a failure.

But all she needed was an average result in JAMB examinations too. And she needed to write only English, Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics in order to secure her admission into the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) to study Medicine and Surgery. Her second choice of course of study was pharmacy in the same UNN. In her first JAMB result, she scored 200 out of 400 but she was told that the cut-off mark was 280. So no medicine and surgery admission for her and even pharmacy department has set its cut-off mark at 250. She had to wait for another year to try again or according to a source, she should bring one hundred and fifty thousand naira (N150,000) to secure an admission in zoology. Her father was a retired railway officer and her mum a petty trader in one of the markets in their vicinity. She had to wait for another year. She improved her score to 220 the next year but again, medicine and surgery had their cut off mark set at 260 and pharmacy at 240. Yet again, only 200,000 can secure her an admission in pharmacy.

On her third try, she changed her childhood ambition and registered for public health as first choice and medical laboratory science as a second choice. She did score 200 and was set for admission as the cut-off mark for public health was set at 180. She was ecstatic and ran home to break the news for her parents. But that was not the end, the government just introduced another examination called the Post-UME. Having passed, the JAMB examinations, one was also expected to write a Post-UME before a provisional admission would be secured. She registered and prepared and wrote the examination. She got 36 out of 50 marks in the examination in the public health department. The pass mark was set at 25. So she was sure that an admission was in the offing. The list of admitted students were released and her name was conspicuously missing. She was opportune to meet with the secretary to the head of department who told her that her name didn’t show up because she needn’t follow up on her score. Follow up on her score? She asked. The secretary broke it down for her; yes follow up as in with some financial backing. Ada has been denied of her admission again on account of money.

Her financially-privileged friends were now either in her two or three of their university years. A young business man came and sought for her hand in marriage. Due to the financial burden, her parents married her off at 22. After all, the man even promised to send her to school. The next JAMB examination, Ada was already pregnant but because she really wanted to further her education managed to write the examination. However, her score that time wasn’t encouraging; 150 out of 400. She was advised by her husband to give up. That was how, her academic pursuit ended. I pray she has found peace wherever she is today"

That was the case of so many students that sought admission into the Nigerian universities. Many students missed out on their first choice of universities while many more settled for courses they never wanted. This always led to lack of dedication and commitment amongst students during their university days.

"When dreams are denied, mediocrity is encouraged"