‘Our programme assists students to identify and develop the potential resident in them’

Landmark College Ikorodu is one of the first-rate private secondary schools in Lagos. In this interview with TELIAT ABIODUN SULE, the principal of the school ABIEYUWA EREGIE talks about the uniqueness of her school and how parents can benefit from the on-going admission exercise. Excerpts 

What motivated your team to start a private secondary school?

Landmark College was founded by Isiaka Oyebamiji on 17th September 2007. He had a burden to provide qualitative and self-reliant education for children in Nigeria having observed the poor state of infrastructure, poorly trained teachers and the absence of other facilities that ensure good education. It is this burning desire and the determination to make a difference in the education sector that has been the driving force behind this vision. We have a very vibrant Board of Governors who contribute immensely to the effective running of the school

What is stands Landmark College out in Lagos State?

We are marked for excellence. Our admission policy is non-discriminatory and at Landmark College every child matters. No matter the academic ability of our students on admission we have programme and activities tailored towards ensuring that they come out the best that they can be. At Landmark College, our programme assists students to identify and develop the academic potential resident in them. Our small classes, learning support, mentoring sessions and other performance enhancing activities help to ensure that no child is left behind. Our pastoral care system boasts of well trained personnel that attend to the pastoral needs of every child. The counsellors guide them in their choice of subjects, interpersonal relationships and contribute to building in them a high self-esteem.

Our school is located in a serene environment that is conducive to learning. Our dedicated faculty and support staff constantly undergo training within and outside the country to ensure quality service delivery. We are very proud of our state-of-the-art facilities which also enable us to incorporate best practices in curriculum delivery. One of our core values is self-discipline and we encourage the development of high moral standards and respect for other people and property.

What are the challenges of private secondary education in Lagos State?

Challenges differ from school to school. However, I think that the basic challenge that most private schools would have would be that of unstable power supply. We need to generate power for all our activities both in the classrooms and hostels so that the students can be comfortable. Having to generate our own electricity is quite expensive and it takes a huge chunk of our revenue.  Water supply is another issue and this also depends on electricity. Our school is both day and boarding and we have school buses that bring the students to school every day and they ply the bad roads.  We need to constantly maintain the buses to keep them on the road all the time and the cost of maintenance is very high.

And how can they be addressed?

The private schools are part of the society and until the government is able to fix these problems, we will continue to suffer the inconveniences caused by the lack of these basic things because whatever happens in the larger society will trickle down to the private secondary school sector. We are appealing to government at this juncture to try to solve the electricity problem, fix the roads, and I think things will be fine.

The general belief is that private secondary schools aid examination malpractice. What is your take on this?   

I want to let those schools who engage in examination malpractice know that they are not helping the students because they believe they are helping the students and their schools. By doing so, the students will get used to being aided during examinations and they carry this over to the universities and later to their work places. They are always looking for ways to cheat and that is why many of them are rusticated from the universities for examination malpractice. In their work place they manipulate figures and tamper with official documents. This is one of those vices that should not be allowed to continue.

Parents are not helping matters. Some parents encourage the schools to engage in examination malpractice. My advice to parents is that they should allow their children to work hard because hard work pays and it will stand them in good stead later in life.

At Landmark College, as soon as students are admitted we teach them how to study and how to answer questions. You will find that even class tests, weekly tests, form orders are all done under strict examination conditions. During the West African Examination Council’s (WAEC) Senior Secondary Examination (SSCE) and other external examinations students are left on their own as teachers or Principal don’t even go near there. This discipline helps them when they go to the university and later in life.

How do you monitor the career development of your students after they graduate?

We are raising students who will be self-reliant. Our co-curricular activities are designed to ensure that our students acquire entrepreneurial skills in different vocations. So even before they leave Landmark they already have an idea of what they will be doing later in life. We also have our Students’ Occupational Experience Programme (SOEP) at the end of Senior Secondary Two (SS2) and students go out to work for about a month in areas of their chosen future profession in order to have a feel of what it is like out there. Sometimes they come back and desire to make a change because of their experience. We are also in touch with our ex-students who are schooling in Nigeria and outside the country in the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada and other places and we are pleased with their progress. A lot them are also working as professionals and also running successful businesses.

What special message do you have for parents, guardians and other stakeholders in the education sector?

I will start by thanking Landmark College parents. They have believed in us for ten years. They have stayed with us and we really appreciate them and by the grace of God we will continue to deliver.

For other parents who need qualitative education, self-reliant education that will make their children good citizens in the society, Landmark College is the place to be. I also want to tell parents that they should look out for schools that are what they say they are.  There is no window dressing here.  We are what we claim we are. If you come around, you will see that truly, we are marked for excellence.