The dream of parent is to see their children surpass where they got to in life despite seeming challenges and time differential.
This was the emphasis during the yearly reunion of Saint Patrick’s College (SPC), Ikot Ansa – Calabar Alumni, Uyo Branch held on Wednesday.
Speaking on behalf of the class of 1982-1988, which hosted the event, Senator representing Akwa Ibom Notth East, Obong Bassey Albert (OBA) decried the state of moral decadence amongst young school leavers, linking the challenge to lack of will on the part of the older generation to mentor the younger ones.
Senator Albert noted that for societal growth to be optimized, there must be a concerted effort towards transforming the upcoming generation to take up the challenge of leadership through a well thought out mentoring process.
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Albert stressed that leaders at all fronts must develop character and capacity so that they will embolden people following them to take positive steps to advance in life and surpass expectations, stressing that students of Saint Patrick’s College are wired with a strong passion which develops into a legendary sense of purpose.
He praised the management of the school for sustaining standards, while promising to visit with his classmates later this year for a first hand assessment of infrastructures, to see possible areas they can collectively intervene to keep the revered college in good shape in line with the 21st century.
On the standard of education in Nigeria, Senator Albert said it was necessary for the country to consider reviewing the educational curricula to reflect global trends and Industrial needs. He said the 6-3-3-4 system introduced in 1982 can be optimized to ensure productivity through entrepreneurship and other ventures.
The event also featured presentation of papers and admission of the 2015 to 2020 class as members of the Alumni.
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The history of the college dates back to 1930’s when there was a burning desire from Monsignor Monynagh and the leadership of the Catholic Church in Calabar to ensure education is accessible to Eastern Nigerians who could not afford to send their children to Lagos and other cities for secondary education and the need to uphold core Christian values.
Missionaries were majority of the pioneer teachers of the college, who were saddled with a responsibility of growing a very competitive educational institution that will train young boys, inculcating in them discipline and core values towards making them become useful citizens as they grow in life.
