By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Abuja has fixed 142 as the cut off mark for the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) conducted by the National Examination Council (NECO) for admission into Federal Government Colleges (FGCs) in the 2020/2021 session.
And it has announced plans to hire only teachers with first class or second class upper (2.1) in a new career policy for teachers in FGCs to claw back the high standards for which the Unity Schools were famous in the past.
Federal Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary, Sonny Echono, disclosed the policy at the Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) organised in Abuja by Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
“We are planning to lead entry for those with first class or second class upper as minimum, as we are serious about implementing the policy.
“Whether you are in the private sector, government, community or faith-based school, we will enforce this policy to the fullest,” he said.
“The first thing that is going to happen is that TRCN and NTI are compiling a database of qualified teachers.
“That is, those that have been certified and those who have taken this examination who are unemployed,” Echono said, as quoted by Nairametrics.
He also disclosed that the government is working on a special salary scale for teachers as well as a remuneration package for teachers in certain disciplines.
“We are arranging an enhanced remuneration package for such teachers, those teaching sciences and peculiar allowances for teachers taking students with special needs.
“We are currently working on a special teachers’ salary scale. We are finalising the figure with the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission and as we speak, some of them have been proposed.
“We are working with stakeholders on making a presentation with NUT. We are also considering the views of employers like state governments and private school owners.”
Common Entrance Exam result
The NCEE result was announced in Abuja on Monday by Education Minister Adamu Adamu during its presentation by NECO Registrar Godswill Obioma, per reporting by Channels Television.
Adamu expressed delight at the speed with which NECO conducted the examination despite setbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic and #EndSARS nationwide protest last month.
A total 70,580 candidates sat for the examination nationwide, out of which 24,416 passed with a minimum score of 66, he disclosed.
But he also ordered investigation of the absence of 16,713 students from the examination as disclosed by NECO, which attributed it to the EndSARS protest.
Admission capacity has increased to 26,625 nationally for the current year with the number of Unity Schools now 110.
Three students with the highest scores are Umeonyiagu Crucifixio (Anambra), 199 out of 200 marks; Onwuamanam Udochukwu (Enugu), 198; and Salaam Aderemilekun (Lagos), 197.
Adamu said admission criteria include 60 per cent on merit, 30 per cent (states’ representation in Unity Colleges), 10 per cent (special needs candidates, gender, local community, and biological children of teachers, PTA, School-Based Management Committee (SBMC), Old Students’ Associations, et cetera).
He directed that principals are to complete both merit based and equality of states’ admission within 72 hours of the receipt of the result.