…As 2001 set marks 25 years

The Queens College Old Girls Association (QCOGA), 2001 set, has called for improved educational facilities, stronger collaboration between parents and teachers, and preventive healthcare as it marks its 25th anniversary.

The president of the set, Olajumoke Saliu, made the call during activities organised to commemorate the silver jubilee, saying the anniversary provided an opportunity for members to promote healthy living, inspire students and support the development of their alma mater.

Saliu said the activities formed part of a series of programmes lined up for the anniversary, adding that the celebrations would culminate in a gala in December, when members of the set would gather.

She said, “Today, we clock 25, and it is an anniversary for us. This is one of the line-up of activities that we have set out for the anniversary commemoration.

“Before now, we had done some activities with the school and the students. We still have some ahead, and it will culminate in a gala in December when all our members will be in.”

According to her, the fitness activity was designed not only to encourage physical wellbeing but also to inspire students to pursue their ambitions and recognise their potential.

“We know that they have a bright future, and we know that they can be more. That is what we are advocating for today with this walk,” she said.

The association also organised a medical screening exercise that enabled participants to check their basic vital signs, stressing the importance of regular health checks and self-care.

Saliu said members needed to adopt healthy habits consistently rather than treat the exercise as a one-off activity.

“It is not about now, but about ensuring that they are consistent with it, know their numbers and stay healthy. It is when we are healthy that we really can participate and give back. That is what all of this is about,” she said.

On the state of education compared with when members attended the school, Saliu said the system had evolved, although she declined to describe it as either better or worse.

She noted that education remained a work in progress, requiring continuous improvements to address the needs of students and ensure that graduates could compete globally.

“In my opinion, I would say it is different, but I would not be able to qualify whether it is better or worse. What I know is that it is a work in progress. There will always be a need for improvement. At that time, it was not perfect as well.

“We had needs that needed to be met. We had concerns that we also shared. I am sure even now they still have all of that, and I am sure there are things that are even better than where we started from,” she said.

She stressed the need for the old girls to hold the school management accountable while supporting efforts to sustain its standards and improve the quality of education.

“For us, it is always about ensuring that we hold our management accountable so that the school continues to grow in leaps and bounds, and the kind of students that are churned out from here are ones that can compete the world over,” she said.

Speaking on the association’s slogan, “Pass on the Torch,” Saliu said it represented the responsibility of members to develop themselves and positively influence others.

She explained that members must continually improve themselves to be adequately equipped to mentor younger generations and contribute to their communities.

“Pass on the torch is our slogan, but it also tells you that you have to develop yourself. Why? Because you cannot give out what you do not have.

“So you have to always ensure that you are at your best. You have to ensure that you have the premium that you can use to also impact others. That way, you are passing on the torch from glory to glory, whether within your set, within your community or to students coming behind you,” she said.

The QCOGA 2001 president also urged parents to work closely with teachers and other educators to ensure that students received proper academic and moral guidance both in school and at home.

She said the responsibility of raising well-rounded children should not be left to teachers alone, adding that parents needed to reinforce the values and lessons taught in school.

“Let us work with our teachers and all the educators. They cannot do it alone. It is important that the children get educated, and I know that our teachers are also working to build the total child, both in morals and education.

“As we continue to tell our teachers to give the students their best, parents should also work with them to ensure that when the children come back home, those teachings are reinforced, so that we can continue to work in sync and achieve the best for all of them,” she said.

Saliu appealed to the government to provide more support for Queens College, noting that the association had been exploring projects through which old girls could complement the government’s efforts.

While acknowledging that the government was making efforts, she said more needed to be done to provide students with a conducive environment for learning and development.

“I know that they are doing their bit as well, but there is still a lot that has to be done. We have gone around as a set, trying to see what projects we can embark upon to support what the government is doing.

“We know we cannot do it alone, but as much as possible, we would implore the government to help the school and ensure that the students have a well-rounded environment to grow as children,” she said.

On a previous health-related incident at the school, Saliu commended the management for its response, particularly the measures taken to prevent the situation from escalating.

However, she called for stronger preventive measures to reduce the possibility of a recurrence, stressing that the school needed to prioritise prevention rather than wait to respond to emergencies.

“We appreciate the school management for the turnaround time in ensuring that there was no spread or an epidemic that was much more than the school could handle.

“We also hope that the management will be able to take charge of things that could prevent, rather than try to cure or react to these issues. Anything that could prevent a repeat of such a situation is what we also implore the management to do,” she said.

Saliu added that old girls across different sets had been working together to identify ways of supporting the school, particularly in addressing challenges that might take the government longer to resolve.

She said the 2001 set had also earmarked additional projects as part of its 25th anniversary activities, reaffirming the association’s commitment to supporting the school and future generations of Queens College students.

Also speaking, a member of the old girls’ community, Bolatito Puddicombe who was involved in efforts to bring the 2001 set together, expressed delight at the turnout, describing it as a reflection of the leadership and commitment of the current executive committee.

She said the gathering demonstrated the enduring bond among Queens College old girls, who had spent six years together during their formative years, despite their different ethnic and geographical backgrounds.