By Demi Adeniyi
Students morale at Ansar-ud-Deen High School, Surulere, Lagos have received a boost with the handing over of a state-of-the art Physics and Chemistry laboratories which is the outcome of the laboratory renewal project of the class of 1982 old students of the school.
The old Students led by the Chairman, AHOSA ’82, Engr. Yinka Babalola who was the Senior Prefect for the class of 1982 handed over the renovated and equipped laboratories to the school authorities as part of its lined up activities to mark their 40th anniversary of graduation from the school.
Speaking on the Price Giving Event to kick off the anniversary programmes on Thursday, Engr. Yinka Babalola stated that a total of 52 students with outstanding performance in the area of Science, Technology and Mathematics are to receive books and cash prices of 20,000 each.
He said the old students also pulled resources together to provide intervention in the physics and chemistry laboratories of the school which was in deplorable state, adding that “the goal is to further better motivate students to learn more effectively with the aid of the revamped laboratories which cost over two million naira”.
Mr. Babalola also said that about 14 teachers who taught the students during their days in school have been invited to the Awards and Gala night event on Saturday where they would be appreciated and rewarded for their roles in grooming the students, most of who are now established professional and business leaders.
“What we are actually doing is to signpost to the other side that this is what we can do. We are 40 and we have done this, if every set that turns 40 does this, then there would be a consistent upgrade of the school,” he said.
In his remarks, the Tutor General and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Education District 5, Prince Olusegun Osinaike expressed gratitude on behalf of the Lagos State Government to the old students for investing hard earned money in collaboration with the state government to improve the lots of the students.
He said also that the nature of intervention done by the old students was in line with the focus of the present administration in terms of rehabilitation and renovation of infrastructure in the education sector.
Earlier in her address, the Principal of the Senior Secondary arm of the school, Dr. (Mrs.) Shareefah Yusuf who is one of the class ’82 set expressed her delight for the synergy between the state government and stakeholders in the education sector which has facilitated the good deeds by the old students while also expressing optimism that more of such support would be received from other sets, going by this noble efforts of class ’82.
Highpoint of the price giving event was the motivational speech of the guest speaker, Miss Tolu Makinwa, a tech entrepreneur who said that young people should be given a voice and their voices should be supported and backed financially and academically.