The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Graduating pupils

  • Graduating pupils get success tips

    The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Lagos Prof Funso Falade, has advised graduates of Dowen College, Lekki, to discover their potential.

    He said it was necessary for them to do what they desired most in their sub-conscious mind, finding out what arouse their passion and what they commit more of their time to.

    Falade spoke at the school’s valedictory service and graduation of the 2017 class.

    “Many students are living without a clear vision and understanding of what they really want in life. It is whatever comes their way that they are prepared to take. It is not sufficient to score ‘As’ in all your subjects or to be on top of your class. Someone can pass very well in his/her class and still end up a failure in life if the person fails to discover his/her potential,” he warned.

    He advised them to have faith in God and a purposeful mind.

    The outstanding graduating pupil, Chimaobi Fedora, expressed her joy, having been able to complete her six years in the school. She noted that being given prizes and awards are testament to perseverance and commitment to excellence.

    She thanked her parents and teachers for their support and advised her colleagues to stand out in life, and show love at all time.

  • Dancing time for graduating pupils

    Dancing time for graduating pupils

    It was the 2016 edition of the graduation and award ceremony of Nazareth School, Festac. The event which was duly attended by dignitaries, parents, teachers and pupils of the great citadel of learning was a memorable one for every guest.

     Pupils of various classes, including the graduands, entertained the guests with various dances, cultural and contemporary.

    There was soulful music from the school’s choir, as they sonorously chorused MJ’s We are the one. Guests, parents and members of the high table watched in awe as some of the female pupils displayed beauty and brains in contest for the crown of the incumbent Nazareth beauty queen.

    In her welcome address, Rev Sr. Elizabeth Kachepa thanked everyone present for gracing the occasion, stressing that nobody deserves to be celebrated better than the pupils. “You will agree with me that no one deserves more attention and celebration than our children” she said.

    Adding that the forward movement of the families represented and the nation at large is dependent on the children who are the future, she said, “It is important to note that our prosperity as a nation resides in the values we inculcate in our children;” values which she said are best imparted in the youngsters from their respective homes, the school and the society at large. She therefore urged parents to “pay more attention to their children and constantly teach them the values of honesty, humility, civility and integrity in private and public conduct.”

    The special guest of honour, Vice Chancellor, Christopher University, Ogun State, Professor F. N Ndubisi expressed his gratitude for being given the honour to witness such great event, stressing that the children who were being celebrated are the leaders of tomorrow. “Tomorrow is not just the day after today, which is Saturday. Tomorrow is the whole length of future that lies ahead of you, bare and formless.” He explained.

    Continuing, he enthused, “Children are often compared with the future because like the future, children are bare and formless. What this means is that it is in this children that humanity as a whole hopes to build a greater tomorrow. It is in the children that humanity also hopes to correct the ills of the past.”

    Speaking pointedly to the graduands and by extension all the pupils present, Ndubisi told them they were very fortunate to have parents who could offer them a better life through sound education which Nazareth School is known to offer. “In a world where the future of many children is bleak, you the children of Nazareth School are very fortunate to be endowed with a sound and profound education background.” To this end he said, “The onus now falls upon you to seize upon this golden opportunity and make the best of it.”

    Calling on the pupils to live responsibly owing to the privilege they have to be educated, Ndubisi urged them to fulfil theirresponsibilities, for every privilege, he said, comes with a responsibility. He also called on the pupils to lead moral and virtuous lives, adding that to be a leader is to live responsibly, and as leaders of tomorrow they must live responsibly.

    Ndubisi closed his remark with a charge to the leaders of tomorrow when he said, “The ultimate goal of a leader is to drill the human soul to attain freedom, so that our faculties can operate at operate at the highest level of creativity and invention to make society attain loftier heights. Nevertheless, moving the society to loftier heights requires that we must steadfastly observe those values that mould both individuals and the society as a whole; values such as obedience, loyalty, patriotism, courage, temperance, liberality, prudence, honesty, diligence, kindheartedness, positive will or determination, endurance, perseverance, knowledge and wisdom.” All of these, Ndubisi said are marvellous jewels for human and societal development, which are indispensable and cannot be compromised.

    The highest point of the event came when the engaging Master of Ceremony announced that it was time for award presentation. The prize for the overall best graduating student went to Orakwe Munachimso. Nwagbara Vanessa and Egbe Ikechukwu also received awards for best graduating students.

    Other awards went to the overall best pupils in Basics 3-5. Also honoured was the overall best student during the National Common Entrance Examinations, Osuala Maxwell. Other awards presented to various students include, the best improved pupil, most well-behaved pupil, the neatest pupil and so on.

  • Don warns graduating pupils against excessive freedom

    Don warns graduating pupils against excessive freedom

    Graduating pupils look forward to greater freedom after completing their secondary education.  However, a professor of Mathematics at the University of Ibadan, Mrs Adebisi Ugbebor, has warned that there is too much of it in tertiary institutions.

    Prof Ugbebor was the guest speaker at the 17th valedictory service/graduation programme of Jextoban Secondary  School, where she warned the 82 graduands, educated in the Ketu, Lagos and Ibafo, Ogun branches of the school, to be wary of too much freedom.

    “A higher institution of learning is a place that has too much freedom for young people.  But don’t think that you can do whatever you like because people are not watching you.  God is there with you,” she said.

    She also warned the young ones to resist the temptation of denying their families because of socio-economic status, which she said she sees at play among some students at the University of Ibadan (UI).

    She advised them to count themselves privileged to have families and treat them with respect even if they are not rich.

    “Be satisfied with what God has given you; and what your parents have for you.  Never look down on your parents.  No matter how humble they are, you have an address to go home to; and you cannot buy that with money.  Some people have no home to go to at the end of the session.  Don’t listen to people who claim to wear N50,000 worth of clothes but you do not know where they get their money from,” she counselled.

    Mrs Ugbebor urged the pupils to pursue Mathematics as a course in the higher institution.  She told them of various ways Mathematics could be applied to real-life situations, including voting.

    She already has a prodigy in the person of Titi Agboola, the overall best graduand, who plans to study Mathematics and Computer Science in the university and nurses the ambition of becoming a renowned professor of Mathematics.

    The 15-year old, who had met Prof Ugbebor during a Mathematics competition that held at UI, told The Nation that her passion for the subject influenced her decision.

    “I discovered that most people go for courses based on their parents’ ideas and at the end of the day discover that it doesn’t work well.  Mathematics is my passion and I learnt that passion is the best motivation.  So, that is making me a unique person because extraordinary people are only different because of the extra they add to their things,” she said.

    In his speech, chairman, board of governors of the school, Pastor Ezekiel Ojo, charged the graduands to dare to be different in the wider world even in the face of difficulties.

    “My charge to the graduating students is simply, “Dare to be a Daniel”. The society in which you are living and will be stepping into is fraught with intimidating challenges. You will be confronted with the dilemma of whether to stand alone or join the maddening crowd. That corruption is the order of the day is an understatement.  Deceit, power struggle, wealth acquisition by all means, cultism, and all kinds of vices are prevalent in the present day society.  Yet, in all these, you still must survive and stand out as the lily stands in the midst of mire,” he said.

    Principal of the school’s Ibafo campus, Mr Victor Aigbefoh, said he was confident in the graduands’ ability to excel because they had been adequately prepared by the school.

  • Graduating pupils advised on standards

    Graduating pupils of Mind Builders School, Alausa, Lagos have been charged to set goals and academic standards to achieve success in secondary school.

    Director of the school, Mrs Bolajoko Falore, gave the charge at the 14th valedictory and graduation of primary six pupils, held in the Exclusive Hall of the school, last Wednesday.

    Mrs Falore said: “I charge you to go out there and set a goal for yourself. Look back and think of where you are coming from. Set a goal in your academic standard. Go out there and make a big difference and always remember your alma mater.”

    Full of pride, the school director expressed her belief and hopes for her pupils.

    “They are well-grounded in academics, morals and other areas. They are outstanding. My students have good social etiquette. When they go out, they are always recognised for these qualities and they always make me proud,” she said.

    Mrs Falore, who directs the four divisions of the school- reception, nursery, primary and high school- condemned parents and schools that aid their wards in skipping primary six.

    She told our correspondent: “As a professional, I do not feel comfortable and happy about pupils skipping primary six. There is a reason why the government made the primary school a six-year course. I am an advocate of ‘the child must go to primary six’. I am sure that these ones graduating have the maturity, both physically and mentally. There is no way they will get to secondary school and not perform well. You can be very brilliant, but if you do not get to the maturity age, it will reflect.”

    The head teacher, Mr Ezekiel Awe gave tips on making a successful journey out of life.

    He said: “Everything we have taught you, keep them, especially self control and patience. Life is a journey, so run with these values. Have a goal and a vision so that you would not be sidelined by bad peers and company. Keep to your pillars of character as taught by Mind Builders School.”

    Representing the teachers, Mr Ayo Sosanya advised them to apply wisdom to whatever they do.

    Graduating head girl, Dabira Omotosho, who wants to grow up to be a teacher, was nostalgic about her departure from the institution.

    Delivering her valedictory speech, she advised her peers to: “Believe in yourself, be a light, always pray to God and He will crown your efforts with success.”