…As EHS celebrates success

By Oghenefego Obaebor

FORMER Executive Secretary, National Universities  Commission, NUC, Professor Peter Okebukola has charged students seeking admission into tertiary institutions to be focused, adding that when they eventually get admitted, they could be distracted by freedom on campus.

Okebukola who was chairman at the graduation ceremony of Emerald High School’s Class of 2018 said: “Students are to be focused and realise that as they proceed to tertiary institutions, they will enjoy a lot of freedom; but they should know that with the freedom comes responsibility.”

The graduands who had already passed their national and international examinations were admonished to continue in their academic pursuit and excellence. The graduation ceremony was turned into a thanksgiving event as the school principal, Mrs. Busola Adegbaju, disclosed that Miss Chidiebere Esther Okoroafor was recently honoured at the British Council Recognition and Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards.

She said, “Okoroafor won the Top in Nigeria Award for achieving the highest mark in English Language as a second language (speaking endorsement). She was the best in Nigeria in this subject, taken in Cambridge IGCSE examination.  Emerald High School was also awarded the ‘Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards –Top in Nigeria 2016.”

Apart from the IGCSE examination performance, the principal said that many of her students who sat for the 2018 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, examinations scored over 300 marks, the highest score being 332.

Gloomy picture

In the 2018 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE results, she noted that despite the gloomy picture painted of the overall national performance of candidates, Emerald High School scored 100 per cent pass in all the subjects.

“Out of all the candidates registered for the examination, 93 per cent had distinctions in all the subjects and only seven per cent had credit. Majority of the candidates entered for the WASSCE had A1 in seven subjects and B grades in two other subjects.

Executive Director of the School, Mrs. Edna Obaze, in her brief remarks announced that she had already signed cheques running into millions as part of the motivation for the teachers. She, however, regretted that she would miss the students some of whom had been with the school right from crèche.

The Valedictorian, Miss Chinenye Vanessa Odo on behalf of the graduating set, thanked the management and staff of the school, parents and her colleagues for the experience garnered in the school and the academic training received.