By Emmanuel Oloniruha
Mrs Queen Arome, the Proprietress, Ekabel Group of Schools, Idah-Kogi, has called on all stakeholders in the education sector to work together in addressing menace of examination malpractices and cultism in schools.
Arome in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja also urged students to embrace hard-work, eschew cultism and examination malpractices that could ruin their future.
She said that all sectors starting from the parents, teachers, school management, the society and government have critical role to play to make the students believe in themselves and the future.
She said that as one of the stakeholders in the sector, the school was grooming its pupils and students with quality education, high moral and values that discourage them from engaging the social vices.
“Besides, the method of grooming our pupils or students is to build self-confidence, high self-esteem and learning to study independently believing that their future lies in their hands.
“This foundation has been built already in them and they believe they can succeed in any examination without any external assistance.
“Hard work pays and we don’t believe in cheating.
“ I believe all the critical stakeholders in education should work as a team by making these children see the need to desist from these vices. It does not bring good to any one rather it ruins their future,’’ she said.
Arome also advised teachers to always equip themselves academically and with skills that would continue to make them relevant in the education industry and the society at large.
She urged school owners and management to always encourage teachers to grow in the profession.
Arome said that a well-equipped teacher would have much impact on the students and the society.
She said that at the Ekabel Group of Schools the management encouraged every of its teachers to build their capacity by furthering their education.
“We believe our school cannot grow without paving ways for their teachers to grow.
“We give our teachers ultimatum, those with Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) should go and get their degrees within a stipulated period of time.
“For those with B.Sc , we encourage them to move forward and get their masters degrees because the society itself is changing. If they remain on one spot they will not make any head way.
“We encourage our teachers to become better versions of them because a few years from now the children they taught will grow to meet them in the same position if they refused to add value,’’ she said.
As students in primary and secondary schools prepare for resumption of academic session across the country, Arome urged parents to see it as another opportunity to jointly instill values and quality education in their wards.
“I am calling on parents to join hands with us in bequeathing quality education to their children. Let’s encourage our children to do more this first term by focusing on their studies,’’ she said.
Arome speaking on the journey of the school which was established in Sept. 7, 2015, said that was now regarded as fast growing citadel of learning with quality infrastructure and facilities as well as qualified teachers.
“In the next five years by His grace, we hope to be running a full boarding school whereby parents can enroll their wards from any part of the country.
“We also hope Ekabel Group of Schools becomes one of the first rate schools in Nigeria in terms of academic excellence and critical infrastructures that will facilitate learning.
“Also, we hope to build men and women that would become agents of change in the transformation of Nigeria,’’ Arome said.