This Day (Lagos)
17 June 2008
SchoolRun Consult, an education consultancy firm, recently held its second Annual Conference and Awards of Partners for Excellence in Education and Learning (PEEL) with the theme, ‘Progress, Challenges, Solutions and Good Practice’.
The conference was aimed at bringing stakeholders to speak on issues relating to their experiences in the education sector. Uchechukwu Nnaike and Funmi Ogundare report
Miss Sidikat Funmi Moriu, a primary five teacher at Sangotedo Primary School Ajah, Lagos, was full of excitement as she stepped out to receive her “Ambassadorial Award”, at the Partners for Excellence in Education and learning (PEEL) awards 2008, organised by SchoolRun, an education consulting firm, in Lagos at the weekend.
Her excitement was also a show of gratitude to Skye Bank Plc., which promised to pay her salary for 12 months for being able to render the bank’s theme song.
Moriu’s joy also flowed from the realisation that she was receiving another award in less than a month, having been crowned teacher of the year by the Lagos State Ministry of Education in May.
However, this time, she joined other important personalities like the former Lagos State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Leke Pitan, who got the ‘PEEL Outstanding Administrator’ award; Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Mrs. Helen Prest- Ajayi and Pastor Jane Banful of Praise Chapel Family Development Centre, London, who all bagged the ‘PEEL Positive Role Model’ award, among other recipients. Other award categories include, ‘PEEL Outstanding Educator, PEEL Ambassador, Evergreen School, Star School, Parental Partnership, Outstanding Parent and Educator, principal, Star for Education and Social Responsibility, among others.
The brightly lit Expo Hall of Eko Hotel, venue of the event, was packed full of distinguished personalities and stakeholders in the education sector, most of whom received awards in various categories.
Expressing her gratitude, Moriu said: “I thank the organisers of the event, I feel excited, honoured, fulfilled and encouraged to keep doing the good work.” She urged teachers to keep up with the good work of impacting knowledge to children. “Whatever you are doing, keep doing it because someday, you will be rewarded for doing good.”
The Principal Consultant of SchoolRun, Mrs. Bisi Akin-Alabi said the awardees were nominated by those who felt they have made positive impact in the education sector.
While empahsising need for stakeholders to invest in public schools, she said teachers should not be looked down upon, but be motivated. “I would like us to go back to the good old days in education when teachers were dedicated and had a lasting impression on children’s lives. I believe that children are affected by key personalities in their lives, aside their parents. Nobody forgets a good teacher.”
She also stressed the need for rulers to support teachers so that they would not be out of sync with the system. “We need to get the movers and shakers of this country to make an impact, until then, teachers will continue to be looked down upon.”
Earlier in her address, Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Sarah Sosan stressed the need for corporate bodies to adopt some public schools and serve as links between what schools are now and what they used to be.
“All over the world, it is a known fact that no man can be an island. This is why we agree that government alone cannot bear the expenses of this social service. We have therefore opened our doors for private sector participation in providing quality education for our future leaders.”
Dr. Pitan commended the organiser for the initiative and emphasised need for benchmarking, which he said would ensure a high standard.
SchoolRun he said, has shown a zeal in that direction and that it was the reason he, as the then commissioner provided the platform for the company to partner the government in education development.
“I welcome her effort which I believe would help the future through which schools can be rated.”
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Supreme Education Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adamolekun lamented that Nigerians do not take things seriously, are uneducated and indiscipline.
“Our value system is at its lowest ebb and this has made some parents to overindulge their children. There are no more parents in the society. Imagine a situation where children come to school with all kinds of things such as IPod Touch and phones. Where are our values. If you like to sweep the floor, do it with dignity. As parents, we have to educate our children, you are not showing them love by doling out money. They are supposed to be our future. Let us teach these children the value of life, hardwork, honesty and diligence”, she stressed.
A legal practitioner, Barrister Oluseyi Shadare who spoke on ‘Cost of Ignorance in Education and Learning’, said there is need for school owners to have an insurance policy so as to guard against risk. “The essence of any business is to break even, you could put in place a risk management system to help the school maintain its growing concern”, he said.
Mrs. Prest-Ajayi said literacy is the bedrock of education and without it the country cannot move into the future. She emphasised need for parents to invest in the education of their children.
Hon. Dabiri-Erewa, while commending Akin-Alabi for her efforts, urged stakeholders to throw their weight behind educating pupils in a public school, rather than on frivolities.
No Comments Yet
No comments yet.
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
