- Children who are not geniuses in academics may be in sports –Director, CCA
By Jet Stanley Madu
One school activity at Covenant Child Academy, Ijesha, Surulere, Lagos, that parents and its pupils and students eagerly look forward to, every year, is the school’s inter-house sports competition.
The 12th edition of the sports held, recently, at the National Institute for Sports (NIS), was no exception. At the event, the Academy’s Project Director, Dr Mrs. Delight Oliseh explained that there are students and pupils who excel in academics just as there are others who excel in sports. It delights the heart of parents whose children excel in sports to know that their children also have some intrinsic potential.
She stated this when she delivered a speech during the sports competition. She told guests at the colourful, well-organised event that “children are not equally gifted to excel academically; sports remain a vital avenue to discover gifting and talents inherent in some of our children who may not be geniuses within the four walls of the classroom.”
The Academy, she said, strives to offer a holistic education to all students, adding that, “the school focuses on raising a total man from an all-round system of education through its academic and series of extra-curricular activities held through each session.” The Director reassured parents and guardians that the school remains committed to the development of the total child.
While stating that sporting activities, especially, inter-house sports event is never a do-or-die event, she encouraged all competitors in the various categories to “approach the events with the spirit of sportsmanship”, even as she pointed out that, “participation is what matters in sports and not winning at all costs”.
The Chairman of the Parents’ Teachers Association (PTA), Willie I. Willie, who declared the competition open, revealed that in every sphere, the association has been lending helping hand to advance teaching and learning in the school. He also seized the occasion to reel out some of the achievements his team has recorded since his assumption of office.
He disclosed that the present leadership has built upon the programme of the last administration which mooted the idea of donating a brand new school bus to CCA. He gladly declared that the project had been executed by the present PTA, “even though some parents were opposed to the idea that the PTA should purchase and donate a brand new bus to the school. He described the task of executing the project as “enormous.”
Speaking further, Willie revealed that within the period under review, the school received federal government approval to organise all external examinations within the school. He noted that even though that was an administrative feat, “the PTA is grateful to God that the achievement happened under his tenure.”
He remarked that CCA is noted not only for molding children academically but also preparing them to become good sports men and women who will win laurels for Nigeria in no distant future.
Some spectacular sports events held at the meet include house master race, house mistress race, sack race, and three-legged race. There were also parents race and ballet dancing. The dressing-for-school event was simply exciting.