Former Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, Prof. Abiodun Adebayo, has urged schools to sustain a culture of excellence that goes beyond examination grades and focuses on character, skills and usefulness to society.

Adebayo gave the charge in Lagos while delivering the keynote address at the 30th anniversary celebration of Halifield Schools.

The anniversary, themed: ‘Excellence, legacy and inspiring the future, brought together the founder of the school, Mrs Halima Oke, parents, alumni, staff and members of the board to reflect on three decades of the institution, which began in 1996.

Describing the 30-year journey as a testament to vision, perseverance and God’s faithfulness, Adebayo said the theme captured the school’s responsibility to honour its past while preparing for what comes next.

According to him, the true measure of a school is not only what its students know, but who they become.

“The true measure of a school is not only what its students know, but whom they become,” he said.

He commended the founder for leaving her position as a senior staff member of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to pursue her passion for education, noting that the decision to plant what she called a tiny mustard seed 30 years ago has grown into an educational legacy with campuses in Maryland and Lekki, Lagos.

Adebayo charged teachers to see themselves as builders of future leaders and custodians of values, stressing that excellence is sustained through continuous improvement, discipline and commitment to holistic development.

He urged students to take personal responsibility for excellence by reading widely, asking questions, respecting their teachers and using technology responsibly, warning against examination malpractice and shortcuts to success.

“Do not merely aim to pass. Aim to understand. Aim to grow. Aim to become useful,” the former vice-chancellor told the students.

He said schools must prepare students not just to pass examinations, but to excel in life through creativity, critical thinking and practical skills that will make them relevant in a changing world.

Earlier, Oke recounted how Halifield started with a handful of pupils after noticing that some children excelled outside the classroom in areas such as culinary skills, hairstyling, baking, dance, piano, knitting, and art.

She said that realisation led her to build skills acquisition into the school’s curriculum, a decision some parents initially questioned as too much play, but which later unlocked confidence in pupils considered academically weak.

She said the early years were marked by financial difficulty, and that she took no salary for several years before the school broke even, adding that demand from parents whose children were completing primary school led to the establishment of Halifield College in 2012.

Oke said the greatest reward of the 30-year journey is the children who have passed through the school and gone on to different parts of Nigeria and the world.

In her remarks, Principal of the school, Mrs Frances Ozuchukwu, said the 30-year milestone is a testament to the founder’s vision, citing consistent strong performance in various examinations.

She noted that the school sustained learning during the COVID-19 pandemic through an online platform introduced ahead of the disruption, and listed recent infrastructure additions, including a swimming pool commissioned in 2024 and a new hostel under construction.

“The next 30 years must be bigger than the first, not necessarily in size, but in impact,” Ozuchukwu said.