NUT Rejects UTME Waiver for NCE Admission

NUT Rejects UTME Waiver for NCE Admission

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has rejected the Federal Government’s decision to exempt candidates seeking admission into the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme from writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), warning that the policy could significantly undermine the quality of teacher education in Nigeria.

The position was expressed by the NUT National President, Audu Titus Amba, during a teacher sensitisation programme organised by 21st Century in collaboration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) in Abuja.

Amba said the policy reflects a worrying trend where Colleges of Education in Nigeria are increasingly becoming a second-choice destination for candidates who fail to secure admission into universities, rather than attracting top-performing students into the teaching profession.

According to him, teaching should be reserved for some of the most academically strong candidates, stressing that lowering entry standards could have long-term consequences on the country’s basic education system.

“Why can’t we now say that anyone going to the College of Education to become a teacher tomorrow must be among the highest-scoring candidates in UTME?

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“Colleges of Education are supposed to have the best candidates, but unfortunately, when people fail to secure university admission, they are told to go and manage NCE,” he said.

The controversy follows the Federal Government’s recent policy announcement at the JAMB policy meeting, where the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, stated that applicants with at least four credit passes in relevant subjects would no longer be required to sit for UTME before gaining admission into Colleges of Education.

Government officials argue that the reform is aimed at expanding access to teacher training programmes in Nigeria, reducing admission pressure on universities, and addressing the shortage of qualified teachers nationwide.

However, the NUT insists that while access to education is important, maintaining high academic and professional standards in teacher preparation must remain a priority.

Amba warned that weakening admission requirements could result in producing underqualified teachers, which may ultimately affect the quality of learning outcomes in primary and secondary schools across the country.

At the same event, stakeholders including the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) highlighted the need for continuous professional development to prepare teachers for a rapidly evolving education system driven by technology and digital learning.

TRCN Registrar, Dr. Ronke Soyombo, stressed that modern teachers must be digitally competent, innovative, and professionally trained to meet global standards in education delivery.

She noted that teacher training must go beyond certification to include continuous capacity building, particularly in digital literacy in education.

The Minister of Education, represented by Dr. Iyabo Ali, also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving teacher quality through ongoing reforms and training initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s education sector.

Other speakers at the programme, including Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas (represented by Dr. Mary Aba) and Senate Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro, called for stronger collaboration among education stakeholders to improve standards and learning conditions.

Senator Moro expressed concern over the deteriorating state of public education, warning that many schools in Nigeria still lack adequate infrastructure and conducive learning environments for effective teaching and learning.

Education analysts say the debate reflects a long-standing tension in Nigeria’s education policy between expanding access to teacher training and maintaining strict academic standards in education reform in Nigeria.

While the Federal Government maintains that the UTME waiver is designed to encourage more candidates into the teaching profession and address staffing shortages, critics like the NUT insist that quality must not be compromised.

NUT Rejects UTME Waiver for NCE Admission