By Gbemisola Adesola and Dorcas Aluko
The Lagos State Education District IV recently honoured outstanding staff members, schools and students in the district for the 2020 academic year during its 15th Annual Merit Awards held at Sanya Senior Grammar school, Surulere.
The event, which had as theme: “Resilient achievers in the face of daunting challenges” featured awards in various categories, including: Best Senior and junior Secondary School, Best Senior and junior school principal, Best Senior and junior School student, Best Senior and Junior school teacher, Best Senior and junior head of department, best district non-teaching staff among others.
Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary (TG/PS) of the district, Mr. Charles Adeboye Olajide said the essence of the award programme was not just to celebrate the awardees but to also encourage others that they can be winners too.
He said the selection produced the winners was stringent.
“It was a very rigorous event. We looked at the punctuality of the teachers, the impact they have made in the school and their productivity. These are the things we are rewarding and we want others to emulate. The essence of this award is not just to celebrate people that are winning but to point to others that they also can be winners.
“Apart from the general measures being taken to identify those that are working, there is a secondary measure or mechanism to seek them out. Most of the people, I don’t know them but I sent out some people that know them to identify them so that they will not feel cheated if they are not given anything. I am sure the competition is going to be stiffer next year. That way others will be encouraged to do more” he added.
Chairman of the event, Cheif Abebunkola Adebutu Kessington, who was represented by Mrs. Fadeke Ade, said the future of tomorrow is education and further underscores the need for principals and teachers to create time, monitor and show empathy to learners so as to achieve good grades.
“Your reward is here on earth not in heaven, It is these children that you will run to because when you train somebody in the education and they become commissioner, president, governor of a state then they will remember you that they had one teacher or one principal that tutored them,’ she said.
One of the awardees, Cecilia Adetola Okeowo who won the Best Senior School Principal category affirmed that hard work helped her to be outstanding and advised her colleagues not to relent in whatever they are doing until they achieve that success.
