"For The First Time": JAMB Announces 577 Visually Impaired Students Taking Exams

"For The First Time": JAMB Announces 577 Visually Impaired Students Taking Exams

  • The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board has announced the total number of visually impaired candidates taking the exam nationwide this year
  • The board revealed that a total of 577 special students will be sitting for the examination across the country
  • Chairman of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Equal Opportunity Group, Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, stated that special provisions have been made for these students

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board has announced that a total of 577 blind students will be sitting for the examination starting today, Friday, April 19, across the nation.

The examination will continue until April 27, and the board has assured that special provisions have been made nationwide to accommodate visually impaired candidates.

Students writing the computer-based JAMB exam.
This year's JAMB will span across 11 days, from Friday, April 19, till the end of the other week. Image: JAMB
Source: Facebook

Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, Chairman of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), disclosed this information while addressing journalists on Thursday regarding the board's arrangements for blind and other candidates with special needs.

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UTME 2024: "JAMB allows calculator", expert shares as exam begins today

The JEOG, established by JAMB registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede in 2017, serves as a commendable initiative to address the concerns of candidates with special needs.

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Okebukola said, “This year and for the first time, JAMB, through JEOG, will implement the bimodal system of UTME administration. This involves Fully-Braille and Fully Read-Aloud. Candidates have a choice of mode. JEOG has been resourced by JAMB to make the experience of the two modes of test administration pleasant for the candidates"

He then went on to give a timeline of how many students of special natures that had seated for the exam over the years, saying:

“With a total of 577 blind candidates, the 2024 UTME presents the highest number. We had 348 in 2022, and 313 in 2023. The 2024 increase is largely due to increased advocacy by JEOG, a process which will be bolstered in the coming years.”

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Parents warned: JAMB issues final directives to CBT centres as 2024 UTME begins today

Last year, the Vanguard reported that blind students outperformed students who are not visually impaired after the board decided to exclude diagrams from their questions.

Why we banned calculators, pen, others, JAMB opens up

Earlier, Legit.ng had reported that the board had given the reasons they were compelled to prohibit the use of calculators and other exam materials.

JAMB had banned a total of 15 items and had warned candidates from coming with them to the exam hall.

Source: Legit.ng

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Ibrahim Sofiyullaha (Editorial Assistant) Ibrahim Sofiyullaha is a graduate of First Technical University, Ibadan. He was the founder and pioneer Editor-in-Chief of a fast-rising campus journalism outfit at his university. Ibrahim is a coauthor of the book Julie, or Sylvia, written in collaboration with two prominent Western authors. He was ranked as the 9th best young writer in Africa by the International Sports Press Association. Ibrahim has contributed insightful articles for major platforms, including Sportskeeda in the UK and Motherly in the United States. Email: ibrahim.sofiyullaha@corp.legit.ng

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