A Glorious Jubilee for Grace School Gbagada
Peter Uzoho
It was not a mere anniversary but a reunion, a moment to reckon with, a time to reward achievements in an ambience of glitz and glamour.
Recently, Grace High School, Gbagada, Lagos, staged what could be called a gathering of the ‘who’s who’ at the Havilah Place, Oniru Estate, Lekki, during the 50th anniversary of the school in honour of the founder, late Deaconess Grace Bisola Oshinowo. The school was established by Oshinowo in 1968 as part of her gift to society and, guided by its motto of raising a total child.
The occasion witnessed the formal launch of a compendium titled: ‘Five Decades of Grace Schools’, which contains 13, 000 past pupils and students of the school including wife of the Minister of Mines and Steel, Mrs. Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi and Nigeria’s screen Star, Funke Akindele.
Award of different categories were presented to deserving staff and personalities at the occasion, among them were the Distinguished Old Staff and the Long Serving Staff Awards.
Dignitaries at the occasion included the special guest of honour and former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; DirectorGeneral, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Lagos State, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo; Chief Executive Officer, FEFA international Company, Mr. Akin George Taylor; Chief Launcher and Chairman, Multi-Choice Nigeria, Mr. Adewunmi Ogunsanya, as well as Queen’s College Old Students, amongst others.
Speaking at the event, the Director and Administrator of the school, Mrs. Iyiola Edun, said the occasion was organised to remember and honour the founder for gifting such an excellent institution of learning and character moulding to the society, noting that existing for 50 years and making remarkable achievements seamlessly was worth celebrating.
She said education remains the key to national development and appealed to government to provide qualitative education to Nigerian children, advising that education in Nigeria should go beyond grades and certificates.
"Education should go beyond grades and certificate, additional skill is equally required for the total development of a child," Edun said.
The administrator bemoaned the poor state of public schools in the country, pointing that, in developed societies, education was prioritised as basic need and provided with adequate funding.
Also speaking at the occasion, Kwankwaso said the occasion was a moment to remember, appreciate and pray for the founder of the school, late Oshinowo for her gift to humanity, advising that while alive, people should try and establish worthy legacies.