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Funmi Ogundare
As the 1976 set of the Lagos City College Old Students’ Association (LACCOSA) marks its 50 years since graduating from the establishment, it has reaffirmed its dedication to academic improvement by means of infrastructure provision, scholarships, laboratory rehabilitation and scholar mentorship.
Speaking at a press convention, Monday to herald the anniversary celebrations themed, ‘Uncommon Grace’, the Chairman of the anniversary committee, Dave Nwanze, defined that the affiliation had constantly supported its alma mater, by means of tasks and initiatives aimed toward enhancing educating and studying.
He emphasised its interventions within the provision of scholar desks and lockers, water amenities, solar energy, studying tools and scholarships, including that it has additionally sustained a scholarship programme for 40 college students sponsored by its North American members over the previous three to 4 years.
“The association has also rehabilitated the school’s Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Agricultural Science laboratories, while providing photocopiers, laptops and other essential facilities to support academic activities,” he stated.
The initiative, the chairman famous, has helped beneficiaries enhance their educational efficiency, with some utilizing their outcomes to safe admission into universities.
Beyond infrastructure and monetary help, Nwanze stated the affiliation has additionally organised profession talks, mentorship programmes and different actions designed to encourage college students and put together them for future alternatives.
As a part of this yr’s golden jubilee celebrations, he stated it plans to additional recognise excellent college students within the sciences, industrial topics and humanities, with awards meant to encourage educational excellence and encourage different learners.
The celebrations, scheduled to maintain from October 19 to 24, will function actions designed to reconnect members with their alma mater and strengthen the affiliation’s contribution to training.
On October 21, members will return to Lagos City College for mentorship lectures on the theme, ‘Path to Success’, the inauguration of a company social duty mission and an interreligious thanksgiving service.
The celebrations, Nwanze stated, will culminate in a grand finale gala night time on October 24, on the Radisson Blu Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
The chairman emphasised that the anniversary theme displays its gratitude to God for sustaining members over the previous 5 many years and offering a chance to give again to the establishment that formed their early life.
The anniversary additionally comes as the college prepares to increase its educational choices.
According to him, approval for the institution of a junior secondary college part was secured lately, marking a big improvement within the establishment’s historical past.
The improvement, he said, is predicted to present a pathway for youthful pupils to progress from junior to senior secondary training throughout the college.
On his assesment of the training sector over time, an alumnus of the school, Kunle Sanyaolu, stated the growing variety of college students, with no corresponding growth of infrastructure and educating assets, might restrict interactions between lecturers and learners and have an effect on college students’ acquisition of information.
He said that the educational atmosphere had modified significantly because the alumni graduated from the establishment 5 many years in the past.
Sanyaolu recalled that: “Students in our time had more opportunities to interact with teachers because of the relatively manageable number of learners in their classrooms.”
He, nevertheless, expressed concern that the growing scholar inhabitants might make such interactions harder, significantly the place the variety of lecturers and obtainable amenities had not stored tempo with enrolment.
He stated: “When you have one teacher to so many students, that means the teacher-student ratio becomes a concern. That is something we did not quite experience in our time because we had the opportunity to interact with our teachers.”
Sanyaolu additionally emphasised the strain on college infrastructure, citing the meeting corridor, which served college students when the alumni had been in class.
According to him, the amenities obtainable 5 many years in the past could now not be adequate to accommodate the present scholar inhabitants, probably creating congestion and affecting the general studying expertise.
He stated these challenges, instantly or not directly, might affect the standard of training and data acquired by college students.
Sanyaolu urged stakeholders to pay larger consideration to the connection between scholar enrolment, trainer availability and faculty infrastructure in efforts to enhance academic outcomes.
