The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Kaduna State Wing, has rejected the Federal Government’s decision to exempt candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education programmes from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination.
In a joint statement, state chairman Ibrahim Dalhatu and secretary Adamu Ayuba Kaltungo said the position was adopted unanimously at the union’s National Executive Council meeting in Abuja on May 14, 2026.
The union described the exemption as “counterproductive” and warned that it would weaken standards in teacher education.
“The process of training teachers must remain vigorous and highly competitive,” Dalhatu said. “Teaching is a highly intellectual and strategic profession.”
NUT Kaduna argued that removing the JAMB requirement would reinforce the view that teaching is a fallback for academically weak candidates. It said the move runs contrary to global best practices, where top-performing education systems recruit teachers from the strongest students.
The union also said the policy would undermine reforms by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria aimed at raising the profession’s status.
Rather than scrap the exam requirement, NUT Kaduna urged the government to focus on improving teachers’ welfare, increasing pay, and offering scholarships, bursaries, and incentives for students studying education. It said these measures would attract qualified candidates without compromising standards.
The union further called for full implementation of the law signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari on April 9, 2022, which it said already addresses the issues the exemption seeks to resolve.
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