Amazing Talents Schools recently celebrated its 16th Graduation Ceremony. Esther Oluku reports that in what can be described as a shared commitment amongst parents, teachers and the school's management, the school is on a mission to promote best practices in modern learning by adopting technology to its teaching model, laying channels for skills development, and setting a standard of zero tolerance to bully across its schools network
Children and parents turned out in brilliant colours for 16th Graduation Ceremony of Amazing Talents Schools in Idimu, Lagos, recently. Parents were seen exchanging pleasantries in the school's courtyard and teachers, dressed in beautiful African prints, welcomed guests in soft tones.
It was a breezy weather for a party such that while many of the 91 graduands were excited about their move up the academic ladder, parents were joyful seeing their children being groomed into proper boys and girls.
One of the parents who spoke exclusively to THISDAY on the sidelines of the event, Mrs. Emmanuella Alieze, said: "My daughter started from this school. The truth is that they bring out the best in your child. They give your child this unique build and boldness that when they go anywhere else, they stand out.
"The fees are okay for me judging from what they are teaching. I would say the fees are even too small compared to what they are teaching and what we are getting from our kids. I have recommended them to other parents and they have see the worth of what they are paying."
Amazing Talents Schools
Amazing Talents Schools, tucked away in Idimu area of Lagos, started operation in 2007 with a mission to "produce children who are intellectually and morally equipped for life, imbued with enough self confidence to play active roles in the affairs of their society."
Since its inception, the school has laid the foundation for several university graduates who have joined the Nigerian labour force.
A Fusion of Stellar Academic Foundation, Talent Development
For 17 years, the school has led the path of tutoring students in academics as well helping them identify their unique skills and talents. The school boasts of six vibrant talent development hubs known as clubs where children are coached into fine tuning their individual gifts. These club include the Ballet Club, the Taekwondo Club, the Swimming Club, the Music Club, the Chess and Scrabble Club and the Science Club.
A parent who spoke to THISDAY said that the club activities gives his children an edge over their peers as it encourages them to develop lifelong skill which they could take up as a career later in the future.
The Chairman of the Ceremony and parent of the school, Mr. Chidiebere Onyeche, stated that in a fast changing world, learning and developing skills alongside academics presents an added advantage for young people as careers have shifted from White collar jobs and walled offices to the recognition, aggregation and monetisation of talents presenting a vista of opportunities to the child as they go on their life's journey.
Speaking on the importance of skill, Onyeche said; "it may not be about the first, second or third position. Those things don't pay the bills though they are important. These days, your skills, your talents are what makes way for you and just like the good books say, when you are skillful, it would make way for you."
Technological Adaptation
With the increasing demand of farmiliarizing students with global trends in information and communication technology, the school has adopted a computer based approach to teaching. While physical teaching still applies, the school has integrated internet enabled teaching resources into their teaching model helping students engage with modern learning trends.
Lessons and assignments are scheduled electronically. This enables the child to understand the permissible norms of learning and taking examinations online without breaking the honour code. The adoption also necessitated a capacity building exercise for parents in addressing questions of child's right, social media protection, awareness, visibility and parental control.
Mrs. Alieze stated that although the internet can have negative tendencies, it still has posed to embody a wealth of knowledge which children can glean from. Sharing her experience she said: "I would say the Computer Based Tests (CBT) builds them. My daughter, from the introduction of the CBT, found out that a lot is happening on Google. She would tell me the weather forecast.
"I really enjoy it because when they were on midterm, the teachers engaged them with a physical writing homework and the gave them CBT too whereby parents would always supervise them but not tell them answers and it comes with a timer. So it would prepare them and it has been going well."
Speaking on outlook of some parents to the introduction of the CBT programme, she said, "I know some parents may go against it but the management of the school introduced us to a link called family link whereby you can get to lock your children's tab and you control it from your phone.
"Both my kids have their tablets but once it's 8 o' clock, I lock it from my phone and if I'm not at home, I get to see mails on what the are trying to download and and the app would give you the age of what they can watch and not watch. So for anything adult, it blocks it. So they don't get to see anything that is not of their age. It's really helping"
Zero Tolerance for Bullying
The founder of Amazing Talents Schools, Mr. Eddy Odvwri, disclosed that in line with the school's vision to build the character of students alongside their academics and talents, it has adopted a zero tolerance standard for bullying in the school.
Students as well as parents are informed beforehand of the consequences of any action which has a semblance to bullying. He explained that the set standard has been the guiding principle of the school regulating the actions of the students, teachers, parents as well as the management of the school.
He said: "There are things that are acceptable and there are things that are not acceptable and we stand by it and open our eyes to it. As it is always said, people don't mind what you speak, they mind what you can check.
"So if they know that you would come and check, they'd be much more careful about it. So the question of bullying is a question of sticking to our standard and ensuring that what is not allowed does not happen.
"It is only what is allowed that happens and if what we do not allow happens, there will be consequence and we would apply it sufficiently as a deterrent to those who would want to try us. It's as simple as that."
Odivwri opined that shutting down the operation of a school as a result of bullying is a punishment too high for a school owner. He advised however that to mitigate the occurrence in schools, the management should set a standard to guide the behaviour of students.
He added that as part of measures to deter students from violating the rule disciplinary measure should be enforced to deter other students from attempting such actions.
"Shutting down schools is too high a punishment. You discipline the people involved. If a child is found bullying, you can either suspend or punish the child. And if it is a continuous thing, you can expel the child to free your other children from the harm of bullying.
"It's as simple as that. You don't have to close the entire school because of it. It's not the entire school that is bullying. It must be just one, two or three persons. So what the administrator has to do is to identify those persons and deal with them directly and not spread the punishment to every other person."
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Sustaining Excellence in Challenging Economic Times
Odvwri disclosed that what has sustained the school for the past 17 years has been the passion to contribute his quota towards qualitative education in Nigeria. According to him, the journey of managing the school has not always been a very pleasant experience as it comes with its own challenges.
According to him, to follow his passion at a time like this "it takes much more commitment and the passion you have for education to sustain it. Right now there is no light. We are powering our generator. You are almost a local government to yourself.
"You supply your own water, your own electricity, your own security, supply your own road, supply your own facilities but government is very active in collecting tax and your bills. They collect those taxes and they go."
As part of measures to bolster the financial well-being of the staff, he noted that he encourages them to engage in other businesses to augment their income. "I encourage my people to apart from teaching do other things. In fact, I had to also even give them loans to do some other things as a way of boosting their income."
Setting the Pace for Quality Education System in Nigeria
In his remark, Odvwri noted that to sustain quality education in Nigeria, the government must set the pace for evolution. As the regulator of the service providers in the sector, he noted that the standard should trickle down from government-owned schools to private schools.
Speaking on the prospect of quality education across the country, he said: "One can only do within one's own space. Incidentally or ironically, it is the government that also dictates the standard. They moderate us. They inspect hence they check what is doable and what is not doable.
"My challenge even before I started a private school is, what is the government's own standard? How many public schools have that facilities that we have? Not many."
