GOC assures quality standards in Command Schools

By OKOSUN DENNIS

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj Gen Isidore Edet on Tuesday said that the Army would continue to maintain standards and high quality of education in all Command  Schools in the country.

He spoke as the special guest of honour at the Golden Jubilee of Command Children’s School, Ann Barracks Yaba, Lagos.

The GOC expressed joy at the high level of infrastructure in the school especially with the commissioning of a 54-seat library carried out by pioneer pupils of the school.

Gen Edet said,  “The moto of the school is “Strength through knowledge”, I believe it is that mental strength coupled with the value of hard work, self discipline, integrity and self worth as being the underlining philosophy of education in the school.

“When it was established, it was those same values, the underpinning of your successes that passes through this school. This school mirrors the larger society.

“I congratulate you for renovating, re-equipping the schools library. This golden jubilee anniversary provides us with another opportunity to reconnect, rekindle past relationship, network again and to collectively build this school and raise it to a higher standard,” Gen Edet said.

The GOC also clears doubt on the insinuation that most of the permanent teachers will soon be retiring while majority of the teachers are auxiliary, he explained that the Nigerian Army do not recruit permanent staff but it was the responsibility of Ministry of Defence (MOD).

“At the moment, there is an embargo on recruitment of teachers due to state of the economy. The Nigerian Army can’t recruit anybody on permanent bases but temporary to argument the teaching staff employed by MOD.

The Chairman of the occasion, His Royal Highness Alani of Idoani , Maj Gen Oba Olufemi Olutoye, the first Nigerian Director of the Nigerian Army Education Corps, said the whole idea of the school was to provide an alternative school that would give quality education to their children and wards of military officers as Corona could not meet all our needs.”

One of the pioneer pupil that started the school in 1966, who is now Major General Tilewa Amusu, the Corp Commandant, Nigerian Medical Corps expressed joy to see the golden jubilee. Reflecting on early 60s as a pupil said that there are more students now than they had in their days adding that the standard is better than many schools.

Command Children’s School was established on 10th January, 1966 as Army Children’s School. It was the first Command School in Nigeria and started with a population of 105 pupils and six members of staff.