Former students donate art studios to school

America’s former president, John F Kennedy once said “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Heeding this call recently, the International School of University of Lagos received donations of two art studios from the Class of 1988. This gesture according to the set was a way of giving back to the institution that formed them.

While receiving the visitors, Principal of the school, Dr. Brai Malik, commended the 1988 set for remembering their root, saying, “This is a thing of honour and joy, and the school is grateful to them. This means so much to us because this art studio had nothing in it. And if you had seen the pictures before and after, you would agree with me that it is inviting, enticing and encouraging. This is a tremendous gift, which I believe will go a long way in impacting and teaching them much better and in producing more notable artists that will excel in the future.”

He lamented lack of adequate facilities in school, which make learning difficult for students.

As he noted, “The place of art in the country is not significantly appreciated enough because works done by artists are not appreciated in terms of pricing. As a result, we see students taking up science and other fields and ignoring art, but we encourage parents to support their children, especially those who have the skills of drawing.”

One of the school’s art teachers, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Afam, commended the efforts of the alumni, saying before now, all the school had was just an art classroom with no facilities.

“The set of ‘88 has really given us an international art studio, where our students can come in and showcase their talent,” she said.

Afam, however, blamed the low percentage of art students on the current curriculum, which she said restricts students who wish to offer the subject.

Coordinator of the class of ’88, Mr. Gbenga Osofisan, said the gesture was borne out of the need to give back to the school, where they all had their formative years: “We chose an art studio to honour the memory of some members of our set, who are no longer with us because majority of them loved art. We hope this will go a long way to challenge other sets to invest in the school.”

President of International School Alumni, global, Jide Ogunakan, said, “Most schools in the country are in dire need of help. The International School is in need of much help, and we are doing this to complement their efforts.”

An art student, Chidinma Uba, could not hold back her joy, when she said, “This art studio has been in a bad shape for so long. I’m happy that I can now exercise my skills and learn new things in this conducive environment.”