Lagos -The Bethseda Home for the Blind, Lagos, on Thursday said that the non- availability of the new Braille Apex Machines would threaten the students’ performance in this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
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The Proprietress of the home, Mrs Chioma Ohakwe, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the machine was a critical component of the newly-introduced Computer Based Test (CBT) of the UTME.
“Currently, we have just 18 candidates that have registered for the examination.
“Preparing them for this examination had not been easy because the main tool, which is the Braille machine, is not in place.
“For them to compete favourably with their colleagues who have sight in that examination, they must have to practicalise with the machines because JAMB has fully migrated to the CBT mode.
“I want to also say that the non-availability of these machines is also affecting the number of candidates we would love to present for the examination.
“We have written severally to all the tiers of government for assistance in that regard, but are yet to get any response,” she said.
Ohakwe said that the home in 2015 attempted to procure one of the machines for the purpose of practice for the examination, but could not raise the N1.4 million required.
She, therefore, urged well-meaning Nigerians and organisations to assist the home in its bid to give hope to the less-privileged in the society.
NAN reports that 21 candidates from the home participated in the 2015 CBT mode of the examination.
Ohakwe had told NAN that all the candidates scored 200 and above. (NAN)
