At Louisville, Excellence Remains Our Hallmark
Louisville Secondary School in Gwagwalada, Abuja is one of the few schools where discipline is the watchword and excellence, the hallmark. Principal of the School Helen Elelagu takes through the ten years journey of the school
IHow long have you been with the school?
will say I was one of the pioneer staff that started this school with the late Principal, Reverend Sister Fagbemi on the 30th of September 2006; we are 10 years and some months now. I was here in the first five years but left in 2011 and I am here again on my second missionary journey.
Why do you place emphasis on discipline?
The beauty of a person lies in the character of that person. If you really want to be successful in life, you need discipline. You must be disciplined to be hard working. We try to let our girls know that there is nothing they can achieve in life without discipline. If you really want to leave legacies, remembered for life, you need discipline. I think what people admire most here is discipline. Sometimes when people talk about discipline, they relate it with being strict. I tell people they can be strict but the word I use for it is firmness. What I do with my girls is that I let them know why they should do what they are asked to do. They need to understand the reason behind what they are asked to do and what not to do. They need to accept it and believe it to live it out. I don’t coerce them, I teach them to know it. We also let them know that they need it to be prosperous in life.
How has academic performance been in the last 10 years?
We are doing well for now, but you can never say you are satisfied till you get 100 percent. We are waiting for 100 percent. We will be very satisfied when all the students get all A’s but at the same time, we appreciate that the girls are doing very well and excelling in different parts of the world.
How are parents reacting to the high level of discipline here?
Deep within them, they are happy. That is what they saw that brought their children here. When you talk of discipline, no one enjoys it, but we need to be successful. At the moment, it pains, but when they sit back to evaluate it, they are in support. I am not surprised at what I observe or get as feedback when they say we are too strict. I know they appreciate it. Interestingly, I attended a Catholic School. Marymount College Agbor in Delta state and went to University of Nigeria Nsukka. I am a Lioness. I studied Biochemistry, Microbiol- ogy. I have combined Honours but did PGD in Education. I joined the religious life as a graduate. After my profession, I was asked to do a Diploma n Education. When I was at Marymount, it was already taken over by government. So, I would not compare that to what we have today. I will say that the Catholic Schools are doing very well. When you have a Catholic sister or priest in a government school, you also see the difference because they put in that touch of discipline. We have such discipline during my days in secondary school. Though, it was a Government school at that time, we had an old girl of that school as the Principal, so that discipline was still there because she was trained by Missionaries. Today, the school has gone back to the church.
Some say co-education hinders quality education. Do you agree?
I don’t understand why people should be against Co-education. We must also have separate schools for boys and girls. They all have their advantages and disadvantage. Some people are not versed to single sex schools because they say that when they come out from there, they are shy, timid. I don’t believe in life without discipline. If you really want to leave legacies, remembered for life, you need discipline. I think what people admire most here is discipline. Sometimes when people talk about discipline, they relate it with being strict. I tell people they can be strict but the word I use for it is firmness. What I do with my girls is that I let them know why they should do what they are asked to do. They need to understand the reason behind what they are asked to do and what not to do. They need to accept it and believe it to live it out. I don’t coerce them, I teach them to know it. We also let them know that they need it to be prosperous in life.
How has academic performance been in the last 10 years?
We are doing well for now, but you can never say you are satisfied till you get 100 percent. We are waiting for 100 percent. We will be very satisfied when all the students get all A’s but at the same time, we appreciate that the girls are doing very well and excelling in different parts of the world.
How are parents reacting to the high level of discipline here?
Deep within them, they are happy. That is what they saw that brought their children here. When you talk of discipline, no one enjoys it, but we need to be successful. At the moment, it pains, but when they sit back to evaluate it, they are in support. I am not surprised at what I observe or get as feedback when they say we are too strict. I know they appreciate it. Interestingly, I attended a Catholic School. Marymount College Agbor in Delta state and went to University of Nigeria Nsukka. I am a Lioness. I studied Biochemistry, Microbiology. I have combined Honours but did PGD in Education. I joined the religious life as a graduate. After my profession, I was asked to do a Diploma n Education. When I was at Marymount, it was already taken over by government. So, I would not compare that to what we have today. I will say that the Catholic Schools are doing very well. When you have a Catholic sister or priest in a government school, you also see the difference because they put in that touch of discipline. We have such discipline during my days in secondary school. Though, it was a Government school at that time, we had an old girl of that school as the Principal, so that discipline was still there because she was trained by Missionaries. Today, the school has gone back to the church.