Last week, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced the exemption of admission seekers into Colleges of Education and Agriculture from taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.

DAILY POST reports that the decision has been generating diverse reactions from stakeholders in the education sector.

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, had announced the decision at the annual policy meeting on tertiary admissions, following extensive consultations with key education stakeholders across the country and relevant agencies in the sector.

Alausa stressed that all eligible candidates must still register with JAMB for proper documentation, screening, verification, and admission processing through Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) in line with existing national regulations set by regulatory authorities in Nigeria.

He further explained that the exemption also covers National Diploma programmes in non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related courses. According to the minister, the move is aimed at expanding access, inclusion and strengthening integrity of admissions processes across tertiary institutions in Nigeria’s education sector.

“This approach strikes a necessary balance between widening access and preserving the integrity of our admission system. It will not only ease the pressure associated with UTME but also encourage greater participation in teacher education and agricultural programmes, both of which are critical to national development.

“Any institution found to have conducted admissions outside the CAPS will be held accountable, and appropriate sanctions shall be applied without hesitation. Heads of institutions, whether in the public or private sector, must recognise that such violations could result in severe consequences, including the suspension of operating licences or other regulatory actions, where applicable,” the Minister noted

However, although some Nigerians applauded the new policy, there are other stakeholders who have expressed some reservations about it.

Those opposed to the policy are of the view that it amounts to lowering the education standard in Nigeria.

National President of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU, Dr. Lawan Bazza, clearly agrees with the position that the new policy would lower the education standard, instead of raising the bar.

Bazza, while faulting the policy, noted that the association was not consulted before it was announced.

At a news conference in Abuja recently, he stressed that major reforms affecting teacher education should involve critical stakeholders.

He noted that while efforts to increase enrolment into Colleges of Education were commendable, policy decisions must not undermine the quality of teacher training or the future of Nigeria’s education system.

“We have stated that we were not consulted in the discussions that led to the development of this policy or shift.

“What we are saying is that anytime the government has a policy on ground and is muting the idea, it must engage critical stakeholders and have a discussion, so that we understand the reason the policies are being pronounced.

“That is why we always call for a bottom-top approach, not a top-bottom approach,” he stated.

He emphasised that teacher education remained central to national development and warned that lowering admission standards without proper consultation could have long-term implications for the quality of teachers produced in the country.

On the outcome of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held between May 6 and 9 at the Delta State College of Education, Warri, he reaffirmed support for the ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening Colleges of Education, including implementation of the Federal Colleges of Education Act 2023, which retains the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) as the minimum teaching qualification.

He said the union equally endorsed a five-year training structure for student teachers as well as announced the successful conclusion of a long-awaited renegotiation agreement with the Federal Government.

He said the proposed five-year duration under the dual mandate arrangement would ensure all-round professional development for student teachers through stronger grounding in pedagogy and subject content.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has also kicked against the policy.

NUT’s position was made known through its President, Titus Amba.

Speaking at the 21st Century Teachers Workshop organized in collaboration with the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) in Abuja, weekend, Amba argued that if not properly implemented, the policy could weaken the quality of teachers’ training and undermine professionalism in the teaching profession.

Like his counterpart at COEASU, he also lamented that the union was not adequately consulted before the announcement of the policy. He advised that critical stakeholders should be carried along in reforms affecting teacher education.

He said: “When you announce that you’ve given a waiver to students going to Colleges of Education, it gives the man walking on the street a different thinking of the seriousness that is attached to producing credible teachers.

“We felt a bit worried because policies affecting institutions that produce teachers for future generations must be carefully considered.”

He further contended that removing the UTME requirement might send wrong signals about the seriousness attached to producing qualified teachers.

“Teaching should not be treated as a profession open to anyone without rigorous training and proper screening processes.

“Today, we are in a situation where people who have graduated from the university without any idea of the teaching profession go out there because of lack of jobs.

“They go there and pick teaching jobs. Teaching jobs shouldn’t be seen like that. Teaching jobs should go beyond that.

“When admission into Colleges of Education is granted without standard entry evaluation, the public may begin to question the credibility of teachers being produced,” he said.

The NUT president, who described himself as a product of the traditional teacher-training system, recalled that earlier teacher education emphasised structured progression, including intensive teaching practice before certification.

He decried the disappearance of teachers’ training colleges at the secondary level, which previously prepared candidates before proceeding to higher teacher education.

According to him, the absence of foundational teacher training has contributed to a situation where individuals without pedagogical background enter the profession merely as a temporary employment option.

“Teaching should not be seen as a stop-gap job. Like medicine, law or journalism, it requires proper training and commitment,” Amba said.

He added that strengthening admission standards and improving teachers’ welfare would make the profession more attractive to talented youths.

He also called on the government to prioritise investment in teacher education, infrastructure and digital capacity.

He noted that many students in rural areas still lack access to computers and internet facilities required for modern learning and examinations.

He reaffirmed the union’s support for digital assessment systems but urged the government to bridge the infrastructure gaps to avoid excluding students from disadvantaged communities.

The NUT president appealed to government and stakeholders to adopt deliberate policies that would elevate teachers’ status and restore public confidence in the profession.

However, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Dr Angela Ajala, has a different view about the new policy.

She has assured Nigerians that there was no need to entertain fears or create confusion about the recent reforms in the education sector, including the new policy.

According to her, the Dual Mandate is a new direction for Colleges of Education in Nigeria, which simply means that accredited Colleges of Education would now have a clearer, stronger and more coordinated pathway to run teacher education in such a way that allows students to earn the NCE and progress into a degree pathway under an approved structure.

“Under the new continuous five-year NCE-Degree model, students are expected to complete the three-year NCE programme and then proceed to an additional two-year degree programme as eligible candidates.

“This preserves the NCE as the professional foundation for teacher education while creating a smoother route for those who want to advance into degree certification,” she stated.

She insisted that the reform is not a demotion of Colleges of Education but a repositioning.

“It is not the death of the NCE but the strengthening of it. It is not lowering standards, it is creating access, structure and progression,” she added.

She revealed the benefits of the new policy for the country’s education sector to include more attractive Colleges of Education, better-prepared student-teachers, deeper grounding in pedagogy and subject content and a stronger pipeline of qualified teachers for basic education.

Also, an educationist, Dele Olaniyi said the five-year NCE-degree structure was capable of supporting all-round professional development for student-teachers through stronger grounding in content and pedagogy.

“At a time when teacher education needs renewal, the Dual Mandate sends a clear message and that is that teaching must no longer be treated as a fallback profession; it must become a properly structured, respected and future-ready pathway,” he added.

He also said exempting NCE candidates from the UTME was a wrong move because according to him, “The future of Nigeria’s classrooms depends on the quality of teachers we prepare Today.”

He said the move would present NCE graduates as inferior and people that did not go through the rigorous UTME, which has become a symbol of seriousness for undergraduate students.

Also commenting on the development, the presidential candidate of Social Democratic Party, SDP, for the coming 2027 election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has also criticised the policy change, describing it as a deliberate lowering of standards.

“These are not reforms; they are deformations. The lowest-quality people are in government, and they want standards to fall because an educated population asks questions and challenges bad governance,” he said.

He warned that failure to properly educate young Nigerians would worsen unemployment, insecurity and social instability.

“You will turn scientists into taxi drivers. You destroy civilization and insecurity grows because the people who should become innovators are abandoned,” he submitted.