By Abimbola Ogunnaike
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has directed parents to stay away from all Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres during the 2024 UTME exercise.
The directive was issued at the final briefing of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre owners, held virtually.
JAMB spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said parents who flout the directive should be arrested while their wards should be disqualified from sitting for the examination.
According to Benjamin, this became necessary following the intrusive disposition of some parents during the board’s previous exercises.
“Some miscreants also disguise as parents to infiltrate the centres to perpetrate all forms of infractions.
Consequently, the Registrar disclosed that the Board has directed security operatives to work with the centres to apprehend any meddlesome parent, who come near the centres,” he said.
He quoted Prof Isha’q Oloyede, the registrar, as saying going by the extant national policy on education, a candidate for the examination must have attained the age of 17 years.
He said it is evident that these parents had not allowed their wards to pass through the classes as defined in the document, hence, the determination to follow their wards to the examination venue with the aim of compromising examination officials.
“At any rate, it is clear to any discerning observer that these parents deserve to be sanctioned as they had obviously ‘smuggled’ underage children into the ranks of those scheduled to sit the examination,” he said.
The Board also advised candidates to jealously guard their personal details, e-mail address, as well as their registration and phone numbers.
‘This advice is issued against the backdrop of some candidates, who might be enticed into patronising any of those fraudulent websites out there. Consequently, the Board informed candidates that if their personal details are found with any of such sites, they would be treated as accomplices and prosecuted.”
