The National Examinations Council (NECO) yesterday announced the postponement of the second test for entrants into unity schools across the country.
According to a NECO executive in the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Mustapaha Abdul, the examination which was slated for June 28, will now hold on July 12.
Abdul stated that the postponement was to give candidates that qualified for the second test more time to register.
The examination body had during the conduct of the common entrance examination for unity schools, disclosed that it would conduct another test for candidates who passed the examination to select the best for admission into federal government colleges based on merit.
The Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, had also disclosed this when he monitored the examination which held on April 26 in some schools in Abuja.
Wike explained that this was in line with government’s promise to ensure that 60 per cent of admissions into federal government colleges were on merit.
He had noted that 40 per cent would be allocated on the basis of quota system.
The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Promise Okpala, also said at the exercise that the measure was part of government’s commitment to ensure accessible and qualitative enrolment into the schools.
Okpala said a total of 94,234 candidates registered for the examination in 2014 as against 88,444 in 2013.
He noted that 18,726 candidates registered for the examination in Abuja alone, while Lagos State had the highest number of enrolment with 26,926 candidates.
He also disclosed that there was, however, a decrease in some northern states where Borno registered 218, Yobe 176 and Adamawa 318.
Zamfara, he said, recorded the lowest number of enrolment with only 113 candidates.
Okpala added that the increase in enrolment this year was a proof of parents’ confidence in the quality of education service offered by the schools.