Sir, how would you react to the ongoing graduation of the children?
Well, it is a thing of joy because we are glad that we are able to have it this year, because last year, it wasn’t possible because of the Corona Virus. So first of all, we thank God that we are able to overcome the Corona Virus, and we know that it is still there but at least, to a large extent , we are coming out of it. So was you see, the students and the pupils are happy and it is also an opportunity for them to display their talents, what they have been taught and even the extra- curricula activities which they have been coached in all along, they are able to express them and display them to the people, so we are happy to experience that today.
As it stands, some students are migrating to SS1, while others are leaving Primary Six what is your advice for the graduants and their parents?
I will advise them to remain focus on their goal. God created us to manifest His glory and the glory of God is manifested when you do the will of God, and doing the will of God means that you do what is right at all times. If they do that, they will be able to withstand the pressure from the society that would want to lure them to deviate from the right path.
For the parents, I would advise them not to yield to undue pressure from the society and even the children themselves to allow them to do something they know is not right. That is the challenge we are having nowadays in the society. Truth has been relative in the sense that it is no longer objective. People see the truth as it suits them, what makes them happy, for them is what is right, and that is not the ideal in the society. When happiness is put forth as the standard to measure what is right, it becomes a recipe for disaster in the society and this is what we are witnessing today in our society where the children, the teenagers, the youths want to do things in their own way. So the parents should insist on want is right even if they are not happy, insist on what is right. Later on, when they grow up, they will appreciate you for that.
You met the school not quite a year , so to speak. So when you came in sir, is there any area in terms of standard that you looked and discovered that they were not measuring up in the school both academically, morally and spiritually?
First of all, upon arrival, my assessment of the school is that the school was doing well and in terms of standard, they were doing their best, but like very other institution, there is always room for improvement and the area where we have made effort to improve upon, first of all, was the Library and then we are working to have a standard lab.
Next is the spacing of the students in the classroom. With the increment in the number of students, there is need for us to have extra class rooms, so that they can space out and teachers can teach in more condusive environment. That neccesitated us going to get another land elsewhere so that the secondary school can move out totally and the primary school will have enough space for them to really teach.
And then, we try to upgrade the teaching materials to something more modern, like changing from the chalk board to the white marker board and also other teaching aids we try to modernize them.
And again before now, in terms of morals and spirtiuality, when we come to the assembly, you find them singing choruses, is like they just pick up songs spontaneously during the assembly and they sing, and that is not what I know of an assembly. When I was growing up, those days we used to have ancient and modern, it doesn’t matter whether you are a Catholic or not a Catholic, even pegans, there is a book. You take hymns in the assembly because in those hymns you have, the hymns themselves, they teach certain standards. So we are insisting on that now, that when they come, they should take hymns. We compile the hymns from different denominations but let it be a hymns so that when they come, it is regulated. Although we have not fully started assembly now because of the Corona Virus, that is why we have not printed that. We are going to have the hymn now for the school.
Again, we try to put in kind of standardize the code of conduct, in terms of the task of the teachers, we try to make it standard and a bit formal, so that anyone coming in should know what he/she would expect and so we are coming up with a form of conduct, a new salary structure and all that.
And in terms of development, we have alot of plans which we have started, facelift for the structure itself. We intend to have tiles in the classrooms, as the money available will permit. We want the children to have a more condusive and modern environment for learning. So these are the plans we have, some we have achieved, some we are still working towards.
A bit away from the graduation. Last time, there was a prize giving ceremony here which many described as an improvement over the past because parents saw that act as trying to get the children realize that academic is competitive. Sir what really informed that spirit to raise such platform?, because some children have been here and they have never seen it that way.
I think what informed that was that as a child, I benefited from a lot of scholarship of that kind where you are best in a class and because of that, you have certain benefits for the next term. For me, it motivated me when I was very young so I feel it is something that is very important and in those days, growing up in the rural part of this state, when we are having… “The day we are going to call result”, that is how we say it those days, the community will gather, people don’t go to farm that day, they all gather and then they begin calling from the last which we don’t do now. After they call the last three , they now go to the third (3rd) position, the second position, when they call the first position, you see the person like a king. He is carried on the shoulder and then everybody knows. He has a hand shake with the king and even during the holiday, when you go to the river, they give you preference. People respect you, people don’t talk to you anyhow in the community because they say this person took first in his class, and till today, when we see ourselves, we still respect those who took first position in class. So when you let people know their capacity, it encouraged them to keep the flag flying and those who are not so good, they will be able to know the difference. So if at this age they are able to know that this person is better than me in academics , it gives them that spirit to keep trying to have role model, but if it is done, especially now that we don’t have positions again, so if you don’t give any form of award, people will just come to school, nobody will know who is better than who in the school, so it is good to create that formula, that is what informed that.
Are we expecting that this gesture will be extended to the teachers?, because a tree does not make a forest. Is there any incentive for teachers? Is there any welfare to say, let’s encourage them?
Yes. That will not happen for this session because I like placing whatever I am doing based on principles, even the person who benefited would know, this is why I benefited. So the indices or factors required for us to do such grading, we all have to agree on it and that is part of what we are doing now. Once we vacate, in the next one week, that is what we are going to be doing. The form will be out, so even you can rate yourself, you can rate your neighbour. When they say this person is the best teacher, there is no issue of saying because it is from this… you know that this person is good and so you are able to mark yourself. Because for the students, it is very easy. They use their scores to grade them, but for the teachers, it is at the end of this session. Now, we are developing the platform we are going to use to grade that. So from next term, we are going to be having that; best teacher, then there will be an incentive for that.
Lastly, any challenge so far? Environmental? From Government? Any quarter?
Yes. Well from the government, no much challenge from the government, apart from the issue of impromptu change of calendar. For instance, for this session, the calendar says we should end the session 30th, you have planned all your examination, planned your activities and on the 10th they are telling you, you must close on the 23rd . They just throw the information on us. So we will appreciate if they bring out the calendar and keep to it till the end.
Those days, private schools don’t follow the calendar of the government. That is the difference. But now, they insist that you follow the calendar of public schools and they have alot of things holding them back, when they are doing sports festival, doing this and that. For a public school, there are so many genuine reasons why they will vacate at a particular point in time and open at a particular date, but for private schools, I feel that they should, as much as possible not force them, especially if it is not essential. For instance, like between 23rd and 30th, just one week, for a private school , I don’t see any reason why…, If not that many schools usually give one week to mark, so they should not have, but they gave it as if you mast close on the 23rd, you should not be found in school after 23rd. So they should be more consistent with the calendar. Once it is out keep to it, whatever is not essential, there is no need compelling everybody to keep to it. That is in the part of the government but for other area like fees, we don’t have any challenge.
The internal challenge we have is more of, you know the school itself, apart from the fact that it is a missionary school, that is why they are able to have some of the facilities they have. The parents are not paying for it so to speak. For instance, you see the Parishioners care labouring every month, they do launching in this church to pay for the land. That land, 1 by 2 is 16 (sixteen) million Naira. So the Parishioners are paying. So far, they have raised about 10. 2 millions. We still have about more than 5 millions to go. The parishioners bare paying for it during Mass. So imagine that if it were to be a private school, the person goes to borrow money to acquire that land. You have not started building now. By the time you are done building, you must have spent close to 40, 50, 60 million. So the question you will be asking is, “how do I get back my money?”. But for a mission school, that is where you have a little bit of that privilege of your church supporting the school to grow, then when the school starts growing, the school can now support the church.
So in terms of finances, sometimes we also have the challenge of paying teachers. You want to pay them a particular amount which you feel they deserve, but in order to achieve that it may require raising school fees and then you look at the society, people are complaining, and you are in the same society; the price of food and all that. So to raise school fees, your conscience will not even allow you to raise the school fees. So that is where you keep talking to the teachers: sacrifice! Sacrifice! Sacrifice! That itself is a challenge. And you also have parents who you know some don’t want to pay. Although in Holy Spirit Catholic School, I must give credits to the parents compared to other schools where I have worked.
Then some late comings. We have some challenging late coming cases. Because it’s a Catholic school, we are strict on that, 8:00am is 8:00am. You find some on the road there, they will leave their children and say walk down yourself. When you see a child in Primary one, you cannot say go home, but if you ask the child, “where is your parent”? He will tell you he is along that road. He knows that if he should bring that child himself here, you will ask him/her to go home. So they would rather ask the child to walk down.
And then some 6:00pm, 7:00pm, children are here, nobody to pick them. So you call the parents and they are saying “I’m coming, I’m coming I’m coming”. Some 8:00pm, they don’t want to come and pick their children and so you can see the pressure of the society on the parents. They don’t want to give priority to the children. No matter what, give priority to your children, you will enjoy it. So these are the challenges that we are having, otherwise, I believe the school is on the right path and we are moving on.
And because of the sacrifices the parishioners are also making, we are giving 20% discount for all parishioners because they make sacrifice to build the school . So any child that is a parishioner, the parents don’t have to be parishioners, any child that is a parishioner, parishioner means that a child is registered, we have a way of knowing our parishioners. So if the child is a parishioner, the child gets 20% discount and if the child’s parent is a teacher, he gets further 15% discount. If it is creche, he gets 50% discount. So these are the ways that we can encourage them to keep the work going and of course, the best in the class will have a scholarship on tuition for the next term. So if a child keeps coming out best, best, best, it just means that he will just continue on scholarship. Thank you.
Among pupils and students rewarded during the ceremony for their outstanding performances included Osarogiagbon Uwa Progress, Imoru Nelly, Emmanuel Ijewereme, Isibakhomen Atita, Osarogiagbon Odosa Divine, Ugwu Innocent, Peacefulness Imafidon, Dawn Ujadughele, Adeniyanre Immaculate, Benedette Osunde, Adeniyanre Daniella and Anthony Onyebusi.
The children who were visibly elated expressed appreciation to their parents, management of the school and their teachers for their supports.
Earlier in their various speeches, the principal and headmistress of the school Prince Okhai and Ms Sonia Okonobo respectively enjoined the children to shun bad association, avoid procrastination and be good ambassadors of the schools anywhere they find themselves.
Holy Spirit Catholic School, Okhoro, Benin City was founded in 2008.
