Equip students with practical skills, educationist urges school owners

An educationist, Mrs Deborah Alabi, has tasked school owners to equip students with necessary practical life skills needed to thrive after school. Alabi, who is the assistant principal of Greensprings School, Lekki, at a virtual event organised by the school, said to be progressive in today’s challenging world, students need more than academics.

She noted that by complementing academics with extracurricular activities, students would be well-positioned to face the future.

“Our world has changed, and every day, it becomes more evident that many Nigerian graduates are not well-prepared for life after school because they lack valuable skills such as entrepreneurship, communication, emotional intelligence, leadership, critical thinking, and growth mindset. The root of this problem can be traced to elementary and secondary schools focusing mainly on academics.

“Schools would do better by taking extracurricular activities seriously, as these help children to develop their skills. This is why, at Greensprings School, we encourage students to get involved in extracurricular activities like sports, student-run clubs, and vocational electives,” she said.

Apart from extracurricular activities, Alabi said students also get to participate in both local and international trips and competitions. She said: “Some of the competitions which our students regularly partake in include Conrad Challenge, where 20 of them recently won a scholarship worth $1.2 million; World School Games; World Robotic Challenge; GT Bank Masters Cup and AISEN Public Speaking Competition among others.”

Mrs Alabi also noted that there is a boom in the entertainment industry and schools can support students interested in the industry. She said, “As we can see, many Nigerians in the entertainment industry are enjoying amazing careers and gaining global recognition. Schools should be interested in supporting students who dream of becoming entertainers.

“By complementing academics with extracurricular activities, educators would be sure to prepare their students for life after school. We believe that Greensprings education prepares children for life, because there is adequate attention given to well-rounded learning,” she concluded.