Parents have been advised to properly guide their children and put them on the right path at the time their minds are still flexible and can take advice from adults, in order to assist them to realise their future dreams.
This advice was given by Mrs. Theresa Ekaeze, a Guidance and Counselling Director in the Lagos State Ministry of Education and the Guest Speaker at the 18th edition of the Lateef Lamina Memorial Schools (LATLAM) Graduation and Prize-Giving Ceremony, which was held on Wednesday, July 24, 2019.
The annual event, which was themed, “The Next Level”, took place at the Oluodo Event Hall, Ikorodu, and recorded a large turnout of parents, guardians and dignitaries, who had all come to share the joy of the day with the school and the lucky graduands. A total number of seventeen (17) pupils graduated this year from the school, which is reputed for its spiritual, moral and academic excellence.
Mrs. Ekaeze, while speaking on the theme of this year’s event, stated that parents must assist the graduands in laying a solid foundation for their next level of education in order to enable them have a good beginning and successful ending. She explained that children, who are attending secondary school for the first time, would have many pressing questions on their minds to which they need answers from adults, and that their parents and guardians must be ready to assist them in this regard.
She stated that how well the parents handle this responsibility would determine how well and quick the children would settle down to their education and become independent and responsible in the school and society at large.
The Guidance and Counselling Director, therefore, urged parents and guardians to properly guide their children and put them on the right path at the time their minds are still flexible and can take to corrections and advice in order to assist them to realise their individual dreams while preventing them from the temptation of seeking help from their friends and peers, which according to her, may not be in their best interest.
She further stated that one of the challenges being faced by the government in secondary schools in the State is cultism; thus, she urged parents to properly monitor their children and warn them against bad company that may lure them into the appalling act, which is capable of derailing their education and future.
The Director also warned the parents and guardians not to impose any career on their children in order not to distabilise their dreams, but should only guide them in their choice of career to ensure that they realise their dreams. Mrs. Ekaeze concluded by congratulating the graduands and urged them to be good ambassadors of LATLAM while studying hard and diligently for the successful of their next level of education in order to make their parents proud of them.
Earlier, Alhaja K. O. Lamina, the Proprietress of LATLAM, in her address, expressed her profound gratitude to God for making it possible for the school to successfully conclude another session. She congratulated the graduating pupils on their academic feat and urged them to make training and experience acquired at LATLAM their compass. “I congratulate you for attaining this level in your academic career, and I will be quick to say that you should make the training and experience acquired at LATLAM your compass and go confidently in the direction of your dream while living the life you have always imagined.” You should remember that success is nothing more than a few simple discipline practiced every day while failure is also a simple error of judgement repeated at intervals. It is the cumulative weight of your discipline and judgements that will lead to either fortune or failure.”
She urged them to continue to make hardwork and discipline the basic principles of their life endeavours in order to achieve success. “For you to achieve success, you must continue to make hard work and discipline the basic principle of your life endeavours; you should also bear in mind that life is always filled with ups and downs. Without darkness, light will have no meaning; without light, the day will be meaningless. Thus, when you go through the challenges of life, do not be discouraged; they are supposed to make you strong and be a better person.”
Alhaja Lamina informed the gathering, particularly the prospective parents, that LATLAM College has been approved by the Lagos State Ministry of Education, while also adding that the college had just conducted this year’s BECE Examination for JSS 3 students. While highlighting the achievements of the primary section of LATLAM in the last one year, the Proprietress stated that the pupils participated in Ikorodu Oga Day Quiz, Igbogbo Day Spelling Bee as well as march past competitions and emerged first and third positions respectively.
The school also participated in the Tastee Fried Chicken Spelling Bee Quiz and finished in the top Ten (10) among about fifty (50) top rated schools in Lagos State. LATLAM also participated in the international Kangaroo Sans Frontier (KSF) Mathematics contest and the five pupils that represented the school emerged third place winners in Nigeria.
The Proprietress disclosed that the school ensures that academic and non-academic activities were carefully selected with a touch of Montessori and 21st century approach while the pupils were properly brought up spiritually, morally and academically. She also thanked the parents for their support and unceasing referrals of new parents to the school, while also commending the leadership of the Parents-Teachers Forum Chairman, Mr. Oshikoya Obadare and Mr. Lateef Ajala for the progress the school makes every year.
Like the previous editions, the event was full of fun and merriment as the graduands and other pupils entertained their parents and guests with various exciting performances. Among these were instrumental display, LATLAM Talk Show, choreography, cultural dance, News casting, farewell songs, comedy live and drama, among others. The event also featured presentation of certificates of excellence to the five pupils that emerged third place winners at the 2019 KSF Mathematics contest. Curtain was drawn on the event with a marathon presentation of awards, certificates and prizes to the graduands and other pupils in honour of their academic excellence.
Meanwhile, the Head Boy and Head Girl of the school, Akanni Al-Ameen and Odutola Aishat, while speaking separately to our reporters, expressed their joy over their graduation and thanked their school Proprietress and teachers for making the feat possible. They described LATLAM as a good school that is committed to academic excellence and stated that they would miss the Proprietress, their teachers and other pupils. They also thanked their parents for sending them to LATLAM and providing for their needs and prayed that God would continue to bless them. The young scholars advised other pupils in the school to continue pushing for academic excellence and never give up on their dreams so that they can also attain successful graduation.
The list of the graduands includes, Akanni Al’Ameen (Head Boy), Odunlana Oluwadamisi (Assistant Head Boy), Odutola Aishat (Head Girl), Banjo Mazeedah (Assistant Head Girl), Adebayo Abdul Malik (Health Prefect – Boy), Bakare Imam (Health Prefect – Girl) Akewusola Rodiat (Library Prefect), Abdul-Azeez Al-Ameen (Regulator), Kolawole Nofisat (Assistant Regulator), Mutairu Faruq, (Game Prefect – Boy), Lawal Fadhilat (Game Prefect – Girl), Adebola Foyinsoromi (March Past Leader), Bisiriyu Abdul-Mannan, Eniayewun Adefolaju, Bello Haliyah, Shittu Shukrah and Okunlade Olarenwaju.
Among the dignitaries at the event were Alhaji N.K. Giwa, Chairman of the occasion; Prince Obadare Oshikoya, Coordinator, Lagos State Signage and Advertisements Agency (LASAA), Kosofe/Somolu branch; Alhaji Kolawole Fatai, Vice chairman, Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS); Alhaji W. O Anibaba (Lemmy) and Alhaja (Chief) M. T. A. Ninalowo, Chairperson of the event, and several others.