SECTION A: ESSAY
A new principal has just been posted to your school. As the senior prefect, write a welcome address on behalf of the students, pointing out three areas of need in the school.
Explanation
A WELCOME ADDRESS PRESENTED TO MR. ADETUSA ADEBISI, THE NEW. PRINCIPAL POSTED TO USMAN DAN FODIO MEMORIAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL, BAUCHI, BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA.
BY MUSA KAREEM, THE SENIOR PREFECT OF THE SCHOOL, AT THE SCHOOL HALL ON 9TH JUNE, 2022.
Our honoured Principal, Mr. Adetusa Adebisi,
The Vice Principal-Academic and Administration,
Respected Members of the staff,
The Parents-Teachers Association,
Fellow students,
reolboHrnoel
Ladies and Gentlemen,
l am very happy and delighted to be given the privilege on a unique occasion like this to present
an address of welcome in honour of our new principal, Mr. Adetusa Adebisi, just posted to this school, to continue his good works as administrator of schools in Nigeria. Today marks a new era in the continuity of the administration of this ancient institution. We are greatly honoured to have in our midst a distinguished teacher and school administrator, Mr. Adetusa Adebisi, who has arrived to take up the principalship of this great college.
If l am not mistaken, Sir, you are 25th Principal posted to this school, since the inception of this great citadel of learning in 1922, This shows that the school is the oldest among the schools in the state. I regard your acceptance to the headship of this school as indicative of the great interest you
have in the welfare of our school. It is a noble gesture of which we are really proud of you. Mr. Adetusa Adebisi, my fellow students and l consider your posting to this college a wonderful privilege. We have therefore, organised this special meeting to express our delight and to give you a warm reception. We heartily welcome you to this great institution of learning.
We have followed your career as a school principal with great interest. Your presence in any school has always brought about academic excellence and discipline. We are fully convinced that you have the zeal and talent to nurture the young to greatness. Your posting to our school is, indeed, the beginning of great expectations. We believe that you will find the necessary courage and strength to teach and direct us on to new paths. We are grateful to the State Ministry of Education for sending you to our school.
One of the most important areas of need is poor staffing and unqualified teachers in the school. We wish that you laise with the State Ministry of Education in conjunction with the State Secondary Education Board to recruit and post enough and qualified teaching staff in the relevant subject areas to the school. The areas of need are English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Literature in English, Civic Education, Economics, Accounting and others. This will help to improve the performance of the students in both internal and external examinations. For the past years the school had experienced mass failures in West African Senior School Certificate Examinations Council (NECO). We are confident that with you as the principal of our school, we shall overcome the need of the school in this direction. Another important area of need in the school is lack of standard laboratories. Our laboratories are poorly equipped. The teaching of science subjects have become nothing but a shame. The Chemistry laboratories should be separated from the Physics and Biology laboratories. The three
core science subjects should have separate science laboratories for effective teachings and leaning of science in the school. In order to improve the standard of education in the great school, therefore the teachers should leave no stone unturned in order to ensure that the students are properly taught.
If the students are well taught, they will pass their examinations well and gain admission into universities without undue delay.
Another area of need that demands your serious attention is unauthorised levies and dues. There are various recognised levies that the Government has authorised parents to pay, but the past principals of this school had subjected the parents to pay other numerous unauthorised levies and dues for their wards in the school. All these payments are made by the same parents who pay tuition fees, boarding fees as well as providing money for books, clothes, pocket money and other things. Some students dropped out of school as a result of their parents inability to pay all the authorised and unauthorised levies and dues for their wards. Collection of unauthorised levies and dues should be stopped in this school. This will be the only way to reduce the financial burden on parents and make the lives of the students worth living.
Mr. Principal Sir, we believe that, God has sent you as a messiah to redeem this great institution from imminent collapse. We promise to give you maximum co-operation in your endeavour to restore the dignity of this institution. We have no doubt that you will attract highly proficient staff and better government support for the school during your stay. Once again we wish you a hearty welcome and
many more years of successful school administration.
Thanks.
Musa Kareem
Senior Prefect
Usman Dan Fodio Memorial Grammar School, Bauchi.