Politics
‘Classical Education, Our American Roots, Make Us Unique’
Mr Wole Aderinkomi, Director, Bethel American International School, Fiditi, Oyo State, is in charge of school administration and coordinates all other activities in the school. He speaks about the school and new educational philosophy being introduced into Nigeria’s education sector. Excerpts:
When was Bethel American International School established?
Bethel American International School, Fiditi, Oyo state, is seven years old now, established specifically in 2012. We had our first graduation July 2018, so we are preparing for the second graduation this year by the grace of God in July. So far it’s been an exciting journey.
Is Bethel American International School founded and owned by the American Government ?
The school is owned by the Good Samaritan Society of America. It is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation. The society was established by some Nigerians and Americans with the main purpose to providing the following: (i) health care facilities to the people irrespective of their background, ethnic or race, (ii) education – Bethel
American International School is serving that purpose. (iii) Agric Project – American-Nigerian Palm Oil Production – currently has a large oil palm plantations in various locations within Oyo State. (iv) Processing Co. – water and vitamin drink production. (v) Building & Construction Co – which is engaged in all its construction activities. (v) Vacation Bible School (VBS)- an annual camp for children between the ages of 7-17. VBS was established to help children grow in the knowledge of their Creator. We have volunteers and sponsors from different parts of the world. So, the Bethel American International school is one of the various activities of the Good Samaritan Society of America.
Where we are located here is called the Good Samaritan Society Mission Village, it is the mission village of the society. The society’s headquarters is based in Minnesota, United States of America.
What is unique about the group’s educational innovation being in practice in this school?
The major unique thing about Bethel American International School is the Classical Christian model that we run here. By this, I mean we teach three main subjects that are not being taught in other schools. (i) We teach Latin, you know that over 50 percent of English Language vocabularies come from Latin. So, if students have a good understanding of Latin, there is no way such students will not do well in English Language and any other language that might be of interest to learn. (ii) We teach logic. If you have a good understanding of language, you should be able to think also. Logic helps you to think deeply and to be able to reason well. (iii) The last stage of our classical model is what we call Rhetoric. In rhetoric, if you can think very well you should be able to communicate and marshal your points and convince people.
When these children grow up, they won’t just engage in shallow discussions or arguments but think deeply, reason and argue persuasively. These are three major subjects that we teach our students that give us an edge and make us a classical school in addition to meeting the local and international requirements.
We prepare students for local examinations like WAEC, NECO, JAMB. These enable those parents education to find a space in their homeland. We also prepare students for international exams, whether PSAT, SAT, IGCSE among others. Those are the new things we’re bringing into the table that make us different while we are very conscious of the place of our children in the world. In addition we place premium on discipline, morals and ethical values. We train our children to have strength of character, so that
when they leave, we know that they’ve developed necessary skills and discipline to be able to stand tall wherever they are.
We have an exchange programme with some schools in the United States. We also have relationships with some universities like Bethel University, Minnesota, USA, Fort Hays State University, Kansas, we’re in discussions with some other reputable universities in the US to facilitate admissions, faculty training, etc. Learning outside of the classroom enables us to take our students on an educational excursions to various places of interest in and outside of the country such as Educational excursion to the United States, Language Immersion programs to some French speaking countries, etc. During the excursion, our students attend classes on the in order to learn new things and also to evaluate the difference between our own system and other countries.
With all these qualities that you have enumerated, do you think that taking students on transfers could still guarantee sustenance of these virtues in your school?
We usually take transfer students but such transferred students must meet certain criteria that the set by our school. We would like to know why the student is moving from where he or she was coming from, we would also want to see the previous school records, where it is available, we can ask for reference from those schools. We welcome students from different parts of the country, and even outside the country, but we want to be sure of the background of the intending students. This is just to check the character of transfer students so as to know more about the student, but we do welcome transfer students.
Do you structure the education in line with American model or Nigerian model?
We structure and style is a blend of both Nigerian and American curricula. The rest is just in nomenclature. We run a six year program (3 years in junior school and 3years in high school). So it is in line with the current Nigeria structure.
Do you run primary and secondary school together here?
No, we only run junior (JS1-3) and high school (SS1-3) We don’t have primary school yet, maybe in future. The school is full boarding, no day student.
And members of staff?
Most of our staff members lives on campus so they are available at any time including weekends. Once the teachers are available, students are ready to learn. Classes hold anytime of the day when there is reason for it. Once you’re here in this kind of environment, the only thing you need to do is to just learn and engage in some other extra curricular activities to make you a completed student.
In the nearest future, where do you see these students and possibly is the school targeting a vacuum for them to fill in the society?
Here at BethelAIS, we are raising change agents. We definitely cannot continue like this in Nigeria. We’re raising children that will have sense of responsibility and duty of care, children that will impact the society positively. We are persuaded that any child that passes through this school will be Daniel of their generation. Children that will not compromise or corrupt themselves even in the face of adversities. Even if such a child would be the only voice in the midst of multitude. Such will know that they might be in the minority when it come to standing for righteousness and integrity. We do not fail to drum it to their hearing every day the reason why they’re apart and why they’re in BethelAIS. We teach them to obey God and the law of the land, we teach them to take care of the environment, and we teach them to accept correction when they’re wrong. He who hates correction is stupid so says the Bible.
What is the assurance that the teachings and whatsoever you instil in these children will not take away the Nigerian in them and make them think it’s better to be an American on their own soil?
Of course not. Our educational system is not taking anything away from them, apart from mixing Nigerian and American curricula, we ensure that they learn and acquire necessary knowledge about their environment. Most of our staff members are Nigerians and are being trained on what to do in a way to meet the school requirement. Bethel American International School is a technological driven school, all the teachers have their devices (iPads), our classrooms are fitted with projectors and there is 24 hours internet service. So, if you’re taking a class and you need to explain things to the children, all you need is to just go on your device, google and project it on the board for the children. You don’t need to be explaining things and you subject them to imagine it, just function with your device. The children of nowadays learn faster with pictures more than reading.
With the expanding difference between private schools and public schools, how much did you think it would cost the government to close the gap?
Let me borrow a quote from Mother Theresa, she said “if each of us will sweep our doorstep, the whole world will clean”. The issue with Nigerian educational system has to do with leadership, if every educational leader will take responsibility for students’ success and achievement in their own respective school, honestly, it won’t take much time. The focus is on the educational leaders, what are they doing? What are you delivering? How are you helping a child to grow? Our focus is every child that comes here, we take them as if this were to be our child, how do I want to see him/her tomorrow? That is the focus for me and every members of staff. The reason is that there are no bad students, you only have students that the teachers or school gave up on. If you are able to follow them through, if you’re able to nurture them, if you’re able to encourage them with the word of God, if you’re able to let them know the benefits in doing things in right way, they will do it.
All our teachers are mentors. Every student in this school is assigned to one mentor or the other. We have a mentoring day that the students will sit with their mentors, they will talk to them, they will ask questions about what is going on in their homes. In most cases, you might have a brilliant student that is not doing well in the class, the fault might not be in school, it might be from home. So, you inquire on what they are experiencing at home, their friends, etc, from the feedback we then come up with solutions to help the student.
Our policy is that no child should be left behind and no matter how challenging you think your situation might be, we still believe that there is something that you’re good at and we want to identify that thing and help you build on it very well so that it becomes yours strength. From that your strength, you can overcome other weaknesses.
How many students do you have on your roll, or do you have a specific number you look forward to admit yearly?
Well, because we are growing school and we don’t want to be overwhelmed by our growth, so we have benchmark every year that we set. Like, this year we are not admitting more a certain number, because if you bite more than you can chew, it becomes a problem. So we want to take the numbers that we know that we have facilities to train. What we do is to look at the ratio of our students to the teacher. Our standard is maximum of 20-25 students to a teacher. We want to make sure that at least, one teacher should be able to effectively coordinate the activities of 20-25 students. So, we try as much as possible to make sure that we stick to the ratio as the benchmark.
You know as some are leaving, many are coming in, then we go back and check the ratio again. This will also enable the teachers to have quality time and class periods to take per week without stretching them beyond their capacity. Because once they are overstretched their productivity will be low.
At the moment, what’s the population of the students?
In all, we have about 100 students and for the next session, we are not taking more than 60 students. Right now, we are nearing admitting that figure already.
Politics
Senegal: Faye Set To Become Youngest Elected African President As Rival Concedes Defeat
Senegalese politician, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, (44), is set to become the youngest elected leader on the African continent.
While Faye’s main rival, Amadou Ba, from the ruling coalition had said a run-off might happen to determine the winner, at least five of the 19 candidates in the race had issued statements to congratulate Faye as of early Monday.
“For our part, and considering the feedback of the results from our team of experts, we are certain that, in the worst case scenario, we will go to a run-off,” Ba, a former Senegalese Prime Minister, had said.
But as Faye’s lead got wider, Ba called to concede victory in Sunday’s presidential elections, BBC quoted a government official to have said.
Faye’s lead had spurred his followers to troop out in celebration on the streets of the capital, Dakar, on Sunday.
Reports revealed that millions took part in a peaceful day of voting to elect Senegal’s fifth president after three years of unprecedented political turbulence that triggered violent anti-government protests and bolstered support for the opposition.
Faye is a Senegalese politician and a former tax inspector, who also served as the General Secretary of dissolved PASTEF.
He contested the highest political position in the West African country in place of disqualified candidate Ousmane Sonko.
Senegalese voters had a choice among 19 contenders to replace Sall, who is stepping down after a second term marred by unrest over the prosecution of opposition leader Sonko.
The incumbent was not on the ballot for the first time in Senegal’s history. His ruling coalition picked Ba, 62, as its candidate.
In a country of over 18 million people, 7.3 million people were registered to vote, and about 71 percent voter turnout was recorded, Senegal’s State TV reported.
Politics
Writing Judgment For Presidential Election Tribunal Allegation, FG Arraigns One
The Federal Government has arraigned one Chike Ibezim for allegedly defaming Babatunde Fashola, former Minister of Works and Housing.
Ibezim is one of three individuals who alleged that Fashola had written the judgments of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) that dismissed the petitions by the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ibezim was arraigned on Monday before a federal high court in Abuja on a six-count charge.
The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/434/2023, borders on criminal conspiracy, cyberstalking, and defamation, among others.
The matter is before Bolaji Olajuwon and has been adjourned till April 15 for continuation of trial.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you Ibezim Chike Victor, male with Jackson Udeh, Nnamdi Emmanuel Ibezim and Reportera.ng (body corporate) now at large on or about 05/08/2023 at Abuja, did commit an illegal Act to wit: criminal conspiracy; when you jointly agreed to publish a defamatory statement of false allegations in your online social media, the reportera.ng news, against His Excellency Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, CON, without justification, you thereby commit offence punishable under Section 27(1)(b) of the Cyber-crime Prohibition, Prevention Act 2015.”
However, Fashola said the allegation was “baseless and defamatory”.
The former minister described those behind the allegations as “agents of destabilisation”.
Politics
Soludo’s Performance Assessment, APGA Tackles LP Chieftain
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has faulted a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), Valentine Ozigbo, over his comments that the performance of Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, after two years in office, was “not impressive.”
Mr Ozigbo, who was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2021 Anambra State governorship election, now a chieftain of the LP, stated during an interactive session with journalists last weekend that he was not impressed about Governor Soludo’s performance and has therefore decided to contest the 2025 governorship election in the state.
He said, “We have seen the leadership of Soludo in two years, and some of you may be impressed, but I am not. After the last election in 2021, I called and wished him well and moved on, and we have never spoken again. My decision was to assess him after two years, and having seen it, I am not impressed, and I want to start holding him accountable.
“I am here to share my thoughts with you, what I think, and no matter how you see what he (Soludo) is doing, you will be more proud when I mount the saddle.
“We need to change the narrative and look for a way to survive. We must fight to rescue Anambra. I am a non-transactional politician. I have several things I can do, but my worry is how we can recover the state and put her on the path of development.
“Zoning is a good thing. But it must be combined with competence to make sense. Don’t pick a renegade just because he is from a certain zone, and don’t pick the best, when you know you can pick one that is better.”
Mr Ozigbo said further, “I respect zoning, and I will be making a case for a single term of four years. Anyone who sees what Alex Otti is doing in Abia State will know that four years is enough time to do a lot of work.
“I will honour that principle of zoning, and I will not need anyone’s push or prompting to do otherwise. I will be ready to do an agreement and do an undertaking that I will do just one term. I also wish to tell you that Peter Obi has been consistent that a southerner who emerges will only do one term.
“It is a settled matter that I intend to run for just one term. I intend to keep faith with the agreement.”
But reacting to the development in a telephone interview with The Tide’s source on Monday, APGA spokesman, Tony Olisa-Mbeki, dismissed Mr Ozigbo’s utterances, insisting he has nothing to offer the people of the state.
Mr Olisa-Mbeki said, “He is a political stooge. What could he possibly bring in? Last I checked, he only managed Transcorp Hotel. Is that a qualification to be a governor in Anambra State? Soludo runs an inclusive government in Anambra; that is why he holds town hall meetings with different sectors. What other approach to governance is Ozigbo talking about?
“Anambra State governance is not for learners like Ozigbo. Ozigbo can’t even give a good lecture; he would be better suited working as a PA to any governor. Ozigbo’s aspirations in the previous gubernatorial contest in Anambra found him trailing in third place under the banner of the PDP, despite the staunch endorsement from former APGA governor, Peter Obi.
“That alone should tell him that APGA is like an apostle’s creed to Ndi Anambra. However, what reforms could Ozigbo propose? Anambra State, under Governor Soludo’s leadership, is a testament to political and socio-economic ingenuity.”
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