WAEC: LUMEN CHRISTI HIGH SCHOOL, UROMI DUSTS LOYOLA JESUIT COLLEGE, KC TO EMERGE NATION'S BEST SCHOOL

• Principal of the school, Rev. Fr. Theophilus Itaman and two of his students receiving the best school results trophy from WAEC Registrar, Alhaja. Mulikat Bello

PHOTO: THE SUN PUBLISHING
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For the second time in two years, Lumen Christi International High School, Uromi, Edo State has beaten over 11,000 secondary schools nationwide to emerge the best in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

And for achieving this feat, the secondary school was recently honoured by WAEC at an award ceremony in Kaduna State in which it was presented with the Augustus Bandele Oyediran trophy meant for the school in Nigeria with the best overall results for 2009 WASSCE.

In 2007 WASSCE, Lumen Christi International High School, Uromi for the first time in the 22 years history of the award instituted by WAEC in 1985 beat other secondary schools which include the notable ones to clinch the award for the school with the best results.

The award has put paid to claims and counter claims by some secondary schools that their students recorded 100 per cent in the WASSCE, particularly the private schools which is seen by stakeholders as an attempt or marketing strategy to entice parents to send their wards to such schools.

Again, in the 2009 WASSCE, which the award ceremony in Kaduna State was meant for, the Catholic-owned school stood high above several schools such as Loyola Jesuit College, Wuse, Abuja, Kings College, Lagos, Queens College, Yaba, Suleja Academy, Suleja, and other top expense ones to emerge the best thus carting away the trophy which was won last by Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja.

According to WAEC, the school which was established on October 5, 1986 by the then Archbishop of Benin City, Most Rev. P.E. Ekpu,won the trophy which is given to the school in Nigeria that has the best aggregate, determined by the results of its 50 candidates, provided that the grades for English Language, Mathematics and a science subject are included.

At the award ceremony in Kaduna, dignitaries, Daily Sun learnt, were somehow surprised when Lumen Christi International High School, Uromi's name was mentioned as they had expected one of the top flight secondary schools to emerge the best going by their facilities and school fees.

Records from WAEC reveal that the current best secondary school started with just 40 students on her temporary site at Ogbidi Learning Center, Uromi, under the pioneer Principal, Late Sir A.I. Eigbe but now operates at her permanent site with a student population of 566 and 98 staff.

According to its mission statement and philosophy, the school is 'set to meet the growing and expressed needs of the people for post-primary institution with emphasis on moral value education, to fulfill the Church's mission as teachers, sanctifiers and leaders, provide the highest possible academic growth for each learner, encourage fair competition but discourage unhealthy competition especially that which puts people down.'

Others are 'to extend learning activities to help them (students) in attaining self-discipline, self-motivation, learning and research, develop their investigative powers, basic skills and personal interest outside the classroom/school environment, …demonstrate positive role models, mutual respect, and communalism and develop positive leadership and followership.'

Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna state and the Chairman, Nigeria National Committee (NNC) of WAEC, Alhaji G.Y. Bello both lauded Lumen Christi International High School, Uromi for emerging the best school with the aggregate results of its 50 candidates.

An educationist, Chief Olu Babafemi described the feat achieved by the Uromi school, as one that would lead to some parents asking questions and coming to terms that structure and high fees do not produce good results.

Chief Babafemi, who is the Proprietor of Star International College, Ikeja, told Daily Sun that winning the trophy for the second time means the school and its students would go places and that the award by WAEC to the school has rubbished the noise by some of the elites institutions that the school recorded 100 per cent when the results were released with their students recording Alphas in eight subjects.