Mindful that quality education is crucial to the all-round development of humankind, the Corona Secondary School Agbara Ogun State places importance on excellence and brilliance in the training of its students. At this year’s graduation/valedictory ceremony held at the school’s premises, emphasis was placed on attitude that will engender rewarding development. CHINAKA OKORO reports.
The formation of the individual through teaching and learning for the development of society is the most credible legacy to bequeath to humanity.
The task of formation of the human person towards success is sometimes complex in nature.
When the issue of education is on the front burner, it is not just about literacy or the ability to read and write. It goes beyond that to be a situation in which an individual is given the ability to overcome the inhibiting factors of life and the ability to do things in a manner that is excellently different.
Experts have maintained that a country’s socio-economic and political advancement is tied to its level of manpower boost. This informs the decision of any society or institution that desires genuine growth and development to invest greatly in the education of the citizens.
The Corona Secondary School, Agbara, Ogun State believes in human capital development so much so that it spares nothing in ensuring that its students receive quality education in order to compete with their peers anywhere.
In the circumstances, the school, having imparted the requisite knowledge to the 2022 set of its students, rolled out the drums to celebrate their graduation in cognisance of their sterling achievements in character and learning.
The students, one after another, mounted the stage to receive their School-leaving Testimonials and respective individual award of excellence.
Addressing the graduating students, the Chairman on the occasion and Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Ibiyemi Bello, who was represented by Prof. Martins Anetekhai, advised them to maintain the good character they have built overtime at Corona and resist every temptation to be influenced wrongly by peers in higher institutions.
He urged the students to remain focused, even as he stressed the need for a strategic life plan.
“Ask yourself, what is my goal? Do I want to be a musician or an actor? As you leave these walls, you will begin to enjoy academic freedom. It is at that point where you are enjoying academic freedom that you equally get exposed to social vices, such as cultism, that could truncate your dreams.
“However, a student that is focused will be able to resist the pressure, keep his head straight, and flee from those vices that could truncate his future,” he said.
He said the secret of success in modern-day life is the ability to apply the knowledge that one has been taught to every sphere of one’s life.
“By the time you combine your knowledge with its application, nothing can stop you,” he noted.
He stated that the Corona brand stands out because the management can apply their knowledge to the management of the school, as reflected in the brilliant performances of her students globally. He advised the graduating students not to derail from the Corona standard as they grow in life.
The high point of the event was the presentation of awards to outstanding students and the announcement of the top three best students of the set.
Somtochukwu Ike, George Nnona and Toluwanimi Sonuga were adjudged as the Valedictorian, Salutatorian, and the Third-best overall students of the 2022 set respectively.
Somtochukwu Ike finished top among his peers with a total of 90 per cent, topped the set with 6A-stars (scored above 90 marks) and 1A (scored above 80 marks) in the 2021 International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), scored 321 over 400 marks in the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), and scored 1,400 marks in the Standardised (scholastic) Aptitude Test (SAT). These feats earned him several endowment awards from the school.
Nnona, on the other hand, finished as the first runner-up of his set with 86 per cent. He had 6A stars in IGCSE, scored 307 in UTME, and 1,460 in SAT, while Sonuga was the second runner-up in the set. She scored 315 in UTME, and 1,330 in SAT respectively.
In a chat with reporters on the feat, Ike said it took a lot of hard work and dedication for the achievements.
The valedictorian, who said his immediate plan is to further his studies at Arizona State University and hopefully become a Biomedical Engineer said: “It’s nice to be the valedictorian because when you work so hard for something and you get it at the end, it feels so satisfying.
“It’s like all the work from the beginning, the extra reading, doing night preps, group readings, among others are all worth it in the end. I got all the awards and endowments and I’m really happy about that.”
On what stood him out, he noted that God’s grace is abundant in him, even as he stated that hard work, a good relationship with his parents and support from them made his success possible.
“God’s grace was upon me. My parents were also very supportive. They encouraged me to continue to work hard. The encouragement was also in the form of a reward system which always encouraged me to do better,” he said.
George Nnona, whose plan is to study Software Engineering at Staffordshire University, said being second overall best seemed to him a dream.
The Salutatorian, who doubled as the Head-boy of the set said: “It feels unreal to be the overall second-best student of my set. I know I put in a lot of effort, stayed up countless nights, taught and also got knowledge from my peers and even my seniors that have left the school, but I’m only surprised that I managed to get this far and I’m really happy.”
He also said his parents are his backbone and best support system.
“At times when I felt that I couldn’t do it, they reassured me that I could do it. I thank God that I made it,” he said.
Still basking in the euphoria of being among the exceptional students in his set, Nnona acknowledged the peculiarities of his mates, and how they were able to turn out in flying colours against all odds.
Excited by her feat, Sonuga acknowledged that her wins were well deserved.
She said: “This is my last moment in Corona Secondary School. I feel happy, sad, and nostalgic, but it’s all for the better. My parting word for Corona is to look out for us in future. I thank Corona for showing us the right path to follow.
“I feel very happy because I deserve it. I worked hard for it. I’m glad that I’m getting rewarded for all my hard work. My parents ensured that I had the necessary time I required to study and understand even when it meant that I had no time for other things. My immediate plan is to study Law at Afe-Babalola University.”
In a chat with reporters, the head teacher of the school, Mrs Chinedum Oluwadamilola noted that with focus, growth becomes possible and continuous.
She added that with focus, the students will know how to deal with distractions and keep their eyes on the ball.
“I hope they will continue to keep their eyes on the ball. You will not be able to score a goal until you take a shot.
“It’s always a pleasure to graduate students. It takes six years to groom children to enable them to be accomplished. When one listens to their citations, one wonders how they were able to accomplish all these in just six years,” she said.
Oluwadamilola said it was a collective effort of several people who helped the students to actualise their potential.
“I’m happy for the support of the parents because if they don’t support us to bring up their children, they wouldn’t be so successful. And these are children that we are raising to excel not just in learning but also in character; because that is very important to us,” she said.
On the recent academic achievements of the school, Mrs Oluwadamilola said nine students of the school met the requirements of the ACCA Foundation Programme, making Corona Secondary School (CSS) the first and only secondary school in Nigeria whose students (now 27) have fully qualified for the ACCA Foundations.
She equally said six students out of seven that took the IELTS examination scored between 6.5 and 8.0, 13 students scored 6.0 in Mathematics at the 2022 Cambridge Checkpoint Examination, and six students scored a total of 300 and above with the highest score at 321 at the 2022 UTME, while 28 students scored between 250 and 279 respectively.
Among other achievements of the school, Mrs Oluwadamilola said her students got an average score of 1,112 on SAT, with the highest score being 1,460 out of a possible 1,600, as against the benchmark of 1,010.
She, therefore, advised the graduating students to be steadfast in their future studies and imbibe the act of discipline as they begin another phase of life