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By Sunday Ani
For the management, parents and students of Phidel College, Isheri-Idimu, in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, these are certainly good times. They are celebrating and holding their heads high because of their uncommon accomplishments.
Over the years, the school has been breaking academic records in such external examinations as the West African Senior School Certificate Exams (WASSCE), Unified Tertiary Matriculations Exams (UTME), Intermediate General Certificate for Senior Education (IGCSE) Exams and International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Exams, among others.
Following the sterling and record breaking performance of the school in the just released 2023 WASSCE, the school was once again thrown into a celebratory mood, but this time, they would not keep mum: they want Nigerians to join them in the celebration. Out of the 47 students that sat for the exams, all of them smashed the academic ceiling, with the best of them recording eight A1 and one C. None of them got anything less than a credit level pass in all the nine subjects that they individually sat for.
Such has been the academic lot of Phidel College since 2015 when the first set of SS3 students sat for WASSCE, according to the Principal, Olalekan Olowolaiyemo. “We started in 2013 with JSS1 to SS2, and by 2015, the SS1 students were already in SS3 and they wrote the first WASSCE and made us proud,” he stated.
Olalekan noted that the school has been known for excellence since its inception, as the students have always performed wonderfully well year in year out.
On this years’ WASSCE, he said: “Our students made wonderful results. Bolumole Oluwatomisona made eight A1 and one C. In her UTME result, she also got 312. She equally wrote the Cambridge exams, IGCSE, where she made four A stars.
“Another student, Dunmoye Demilade, had 95 percent in IGCSE Mathematics; that is super A star. He also had 86 in Additional Mathematics, which is also A. Even in the UTME, he scored 92 percent in Mathematics. For the IELTS, we had Taiwo Oluwatomisin Faheezal, who scored 8.0 out of 9 points. Oge Olisa as well as Lisa Okodua made 7.5 out of 9 points respectively.
He attributed the school’s excellence in academic performance over the years and in the recent WASSCE to its mission, which is to offer a balanced education that will develop the students’ personal qualities and enable them to be useful to themselves and also to the society.
He stated that the secret behind their success is hard work, and the support of the chairman and board of governors towards the management staff and the staff at large, plus the grace of God. “As we speak, the students are already in the school preparing for the forthcoming IGCSE exams in October. So, early preparation is also part of our secret to success here.
“Again, the quality of our teachers and the passion with which they teach is another secret. We are trained teachers and we are passionate about teaching. The teachers are not here by accident. We don’t even employ second degree holders without education background. You must be registered with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) to be employed here. We work seven days a week. We don’t have closing time; we are always on ground.
“So, our passion, the staff dedication and the support from the chairman and board of governors and all the stakeholders have been responsible for the sterling performances we have recorded over the years,” he further said.
Apart from academics, the school also inculcates into the student good moral etiquette and social values. “They are taught the way of God because the social system has gone very bad in our society today. So, morally, we are up and doing. This is not just a Christian school; we also encourage our Muslim brothers and sisters. On Sundays, as the Christians are in the church, the Muslims are also engaged in the NASFAT programme. So, we encourage the two religions to exist side by side without any problem. Apart from the in-house counsellor, we also get people from outside to come and talk to them on moral etiquette and values concerning the Nigerian state,” he said.
The founder and chairman of the school, Pastor Ayodele Philip Adelusi, who said that he wouldn’t have gone into the business of running schools if not for the vision he got from God, also noted that the school is flying high because they have always gathered the best. He said: “Our teachers are world class. We always go for the best. Even if you are bearing Adelusi as a name and you are not qualified, there is no way you can find yourself in this school. We prefer to pay you without working for us and that is the kind of standard we have set here.
“When students come in and discover that there is no short cut to success apart from hard work, they don’t have any choice but to study. Sometimes, they complain but when the result comes, everybody is happy – the students, their parents and the teachers. We want to groom the next generation that will be independent; a generation that will create jobs when they graduate instead of searching for jobs.”
On the mode of admission into the school, he said: “They write internal exams here. If you are coming into any level, you must write our exam no matter how good the school you are from is. We must see that quality in you before we admit you, and our school fees are very much affordable.
“Our school is so affordable when you look at the value of naira, and the value of what we give; the ambience of the environment and all that, compared to other schools of this standard. We are not even collecting one third of what other schools in Ikeja or VI will take; that is how cheap we are.”
Speaking about the recent performance in WASSCE and the previous ones, the elated cleric said: “The money may not be there but when you see your students doing well in society, you will be happy. We shall be 10 years old by September, and most of our students that have left this school have come out with first class degrees in the various universities they attended, both home and abroad. When they are doing well, it is the feedback that gladdens our hearts.”
Also, the Vice Principal, Academic, Salau Omowunmi Kamarudeen, who is also the mathematics teacher attributed their success to hard work.
He revealed that none of the 47 students got less than a credit pass in Mathematics. On the secret behind such excellent performance in mathematics, even when many students are always afraid of the subject, he said: “It is true that students always have a phobia for mathematics but it depends on the way the teacher handles them. I had 47 students and all of them passed Mathematics at least at a credit level. I source for GCE past questions. You can’t compare GCE and WASSCE questions. GCE is harder. So, anytime I lay my hands on any GCE past question paper, it becomes my own material. I go the extra mile to get them, including buying them. Since the beginning of grade level 12 (SS3), I have been using past questions to prepare them.
“I believe that children should have the same ability. There are no dull students in my class. I need to treat them equally because at the end of the day, they are going to sit for the same exam. Although educationally, we believe in low, middle and high achievers, but at the end of the day, they are going to sit for the same exam. So, you handle them equally, only that I pay attention to the weaker ones more than the stronger ones.”
He also expressed happiness with the students’ performance, saying: “I am so happy but that is not the end. For instance, we are already preparing for the next IGCSE. This is the period to handle them, cook them, redefine them and give them what they want before the final day. Despite the fact that the exam is two months ahead, we don’t wait till it is much closer. That is our secret here.”
Mrs. Elizabeth Henry, who is the school’s counselor and also teaches Christian Religious Studies (CRS), said another secret to their success is that at grade 11 (SS2), the students would have completed all their schemes. She said: “So, grade 12 (SS3) is purely revision, and every week, we make them to answer past questions. So, we make them sit down as if they are writing WASSCE, but they won’t even know the year that we will bring next week. After that, corrections will be made; that was what we did throughout. We even projected nine As but we thank God for the eight As.
“Our students are world class and can be presented anywhere. They have gone far. They are in Canada, America, UK; they are everywhere. One of our students even won a presidential scholarship in Canada. Right now, many are still entering for scholarships because Phidel is success and success is Phidel. It has become a brand name in every family. I feel very happy because our efforts were not in vain. All the students that offered my subject got A1. They were really drilled and God honoured their hard work.”
Some of the students corroborated what has been said about them. The confidence and the ease with which they responded to questions from our reporter proved they are actually world class as Mrs. Henry declared.
Fifteen-year-old Bolumole Oluwatomisona, who brought pride to the school, got eight A1 and one C4. She also scored 312 in her UTME. She said her UTME score boosted her morale to believe that she could do better in WASSCE. “All I needed to do was to push harder. Nobody in this school expected that I could do it; my parents were also happy at my performance. But it took a lot. The teachers are wonderful and my parents are always pushing me. I don’t like being forced to read; I read at my convenient time. I can wake up at night to read. I can’t read throughout the day but I know I will read somehow. I use residual knowledge to write most of my exams. I don’t read because it is time for exams, and I don’t panic during exams. I was scared but after the first paper, I found my courage back.
Oluwatomisona, who revealed that her choice of study is Accounting, said she doesn’t like reading for long hours. “Maybe, two or three hours per day. My role model is my cousin. His results were fantastic and I felt I could also do that because we are age mates. I feel really good. I thank God and my parents that paid my school fees. I also thank my teachers that tolerated my attitude. I am just thankful,” she said
Taiwo Oluwatomisin Faheezal, 16, from Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State, also made the school and her parents proud as she got five As and four Bs in WASSCE and 316 in UTME.
She said: “We have been preparing for WASSCE since the day we entered this school. So, at the back of our minds, it has always been there that we are reading hard because we are going to write WASSCE. So, our VP Academic, Mr. Salau always reminds us of that.
“I was among the people that wrote IGCSE, so I had a lot of external exams that I was also doing while preparing for WASSCE. So, the challenge was balancing both because they had different curriculums, even though they were somehow similar. So, for WASSCE, I think I owe my classmates who didn’t offer those external exams a lot because when I was away for those exams and missed classes, they helped me to make up for those classes I missed. They would assist and review the notes with me; people like Tomisona and Neena were very helpful in the subjects that I didn’t understand. So, I owe them a lot. I also owe my teachers a lot.
“Generally, we studied hard for the exams and our teachers were always there. A lot of us burnt midnight candles because most of us didn’t want to disappoint our parents, knowing how much they pay for our schools. Personally, I sleep a lot at night. I don’t do well reading at night but during the day time, I go out of my comfort zone with my classmates to read but at night, I usually get my full eight hours’ sleep. A lot of my classmates were consistently waking up at night to read and I really admire them for that. I would like to study Law in university,” he said.
For 17-year-old Obende Onoyimi Danielle from Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, getting six As and three Bs in WASSCE was attributable to hard work and prayers. She said: “There were a lot of sleepless nights and constant revision of past questions. My friends were big motivators because at that period, we were all constantly reading. So, if somebody was not reading, another person would motivate the person to read. People like Faheezal, Tomisona and others.
“My parents were also urging me to read in order not to disappoint them. I think that was also part of the things that gingered me because if not for them and the contributions they had made to my education, I don’t think I would be here celebrating this success. My teachers equally played a big role. For instance, my Economics teacher and Literature teacher never stopped pushing us to become better students and better individuals. I want to study Psychology.”
Onyeka Neena Kamsiyochukwu from Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State also got seven As, one B and one C in WASSCE, with 226 in UTME. She said after she studied hard for the UTME and the result was not what she expected, she became more determined to make the school proud in WASSCE. “So, I am grateful to Oge Olisa and Obende Onoyimi because they were like my backbone during the period. I was not happy with my UTME score. Thanks to my principal, Mr. Salau, Mrs. Henry and others who always motivated and encouraged us not to let our parents’ efforts at paying our school fees be in vain. They equally urged ensure that we make them proud and I am happy that I have just done that,” she said
She also said she doesn’t really have a study habit but whenever she is free she starts reading. “The school is a lovely citadel. Like I said, the chairman, the principal, the vice principal, the counsellor and other teachers have played good roles in our lives for bringing us this far. I feel really overwhelmed. I am really happy. My ambition is to study Medicine and Surgery,” she stated.
Also, 16- year-old Ezeobiora Chiagoziem Divine from Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State got seven A1 and two Bs in WASSCE, with 225 in UTME. “This is what I had wanted. So, I encouraged myself and I read at all times, especially late at night and early morning. When my mum showed me my results, I was surprised at what constant reading could do. I was very proud of myself,” he said.
He revealed that his parents, brothers and classmates have been his greatest motivators. “They were always waking me up to go and read at night. I read like three times in a week because if you read too much, you might forget everything, so sometimes you have to rest. That was during UTME but when I saw my scores I knew that it was not good enough, so I decided to up my game reading for WASSCE. I started reading really hard and I am happy I finally made it. I want to study Accounting,” he said.
Seventeen-year-old Edo State born Okodua Lisa Eghonghon from Esan West Local Government Area is not only good in academics; she is also very good in sports.
She got five A1, four Bs in WASSCE and 269 in UTME, but unfortunately, she would be leaving the shores of Nigeria for the UK, where she hopes to study Animation. She also scored 7.5 out of 9.0 points in the IELTS exams. “I have my parents and teachers to thank for where I am now. A lot of people have been very helpful. I have been very lucky with teachers right from my primary school; they are all grounded in what they are doing and they have impacted much knowledge on me. I am very grateful to them as well as to my parents who have been able to finance my school.
“My role models are my classmates, Faheezal and Onoyimi. They are very devoted in their work; their discipline is very amazing. They made me want to get better in school. After classes, they usually go through their notes. I usually don’t do that. I usually wait a while before I do that.
“I tend to wait to postpone my reading but they are very diligent in their work. They set time for that, so I tried to mimic them. I didn’t wake up to study at night. I tried but each time I did that, I wouldn’t be able to pay attention to anything during the day. I study mostly during prep.
“The academics in my school are very strong. I have good teachers who are grounded and passionate in what they do. The sporting sector is gradually growing. I am into basketball and a little bit of volleyball and football. I feel very happy because I will soon be graduating from secondary school and entering into adulthood. So, I am very excited.
“I intend to study Animation. Although not many Nigerians study that, I find myself more art-inclined. I like drawing, so I would like to broaden my knowledge on that. I like watching animation because it makes me happy, so I would like to do something that will make other people happy. I am planning to study that hopefully in the University of Waterloo because they have a lot of programmes on Animations,” she said.
Sixteen-year-old Dunmoye Demilade, a native of Offa Local Government Area in Kwara State, also had five As, three Bs and one subject withheld in WASSCE. He also got 299 in the UTME.
He attributed his feat to hard work, saying: “The secret is hard work, dedication and prayers. My role model is Albert Einstein, the famous physicist. I would like to study Computer Engineering at Covenant University. I am happy that my hard work has paid off. The school is amazing and a place to nurture talents.”
For the 16-year-old Okoro Emmanuel Chukwunonso from Afikpo North Local Government Area in Ebonyi State, hard work, perseverance and diligence were the secret to his success. He got five As and four Bs in WASSCE, with 292 in UTME. “My role model is my elder brother. I want to be like him. I actually feel happy; I am proud of myself. I want to study Computer Engineering at Covenant University,” he said.
However, apart from academic excellence, our reporter also experienced firsthand what the school is doing in the area of sports. He was conducted round such facilities as the school’s swimming pool located within the female hostel, the football pitch, volleyball court, and the school’s gym, with several equipment, including a massaging machine. The school has two massive hostels for male and female students, but they are currently under-utilised. For instance, the female hostel, according to Pastor Adelusi, has the capacity to accommodate over 400 students but it currently accommodates about 70 students.
Indeed, “Phidel College is success and success is Phidel College,” as Mrs. Henry earlier declared.
