Utomi stresses importance of sound academic foundation

Founder/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL), Professor Pat Utomi, has commended educational institutions that work assiduously towards laying a solid academic foundation for youths in the country.

He was also full of praises to parents who endure the hash economic conditions in the country to send their children to reputable schools in the country.

Speaking at the 4th International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Prize Giving and Graduation Ceremony of Greensprings School International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in Lagos, Utomi said once a good foundation has been laid, especially at the primary and secondary school levels, the burden of shaping the future of the youths by tertiary institutions is made lighter.

The political economist and management expert admonished the graduating students to be focused and resilient as they have just commenced an important life journey.

He recalled his days at Loyola College, Ibadan, where he said the superb foundation paved way for students to enroll at the University College, Ibadan, highly regarded as a centre of excellence.

He therefore charged them to return to the country after their studies abroad to contribute their quota to the development of their fatherland.

The IB Diploma Programme at Greensprings School is a two-year, day and boarding, co-educational course offered to students who have completed secondary education and have five or more ordinary level A* to C grades in General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) International General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) National Examination Council (NECO) or equivalent certificates.

Scholarships are offered to exceptional students who excel at the scholarship examination and subjects offered include biology, English language, French language, geography, history, physics, visual art, economics, business and management, psychology, Spanish, extended essay, theory of knowledge (TOK) and creativity, action and service (CAS).

According to the principal of IB Diploma Programme, Jennifer Sunkanmi-Qazzeem, “Our IB results are always excellent. We recorded 100 per cent pass rate in Year 2014 and 72 per cent of our students scored 30 points and above.

Many of our students have gained admission to top universities across the world including University of Toronto, University of Hull, Birmingham University, University College, London (UCL), University of Aberdeen, University of Bath and Lancaster University.

Students’ CAS programmes are in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Here, the students sponsor orphans through school up to university level and also teach English and mathematics in an orphanage – The Arrows of God