Include mission schools in free education programme – Father Idobo begs

BY CHARLES SOLOMON

The Director Department of Catholic  Educational services, Rev. Fr. Dr. Michael Idobo of the Diocese of Uyo has described the non inclusion of mission schools in the free education programme of the Akwa Ibom State government as an uncommon error. The reverend father stated this at the golden jubilee celebration of Adiaha Obong Secondary Commercial School, Eniong Offot, Uyo.

He argued that since most students of the mission schools are children of Akwa Ibom State origin, the government should extend the free and compulsory education programme to the mission schools so that the students would benefit from the laudable programme. ‘free education in Akwa  Ibom State is not complete unless and until the mission schools are taken along’. Father Idobo stated.

 He added that “the church and the government have the common goal of making quality education available and affordable to the citizens. The church compliments the government in this regard and we have been doing this even before independence” he said.

The reverend father also stated that if the government includes the mission schools in the free education programme, the church would have no reason to collect fees, from the students observing that mission schools are wrongly classified as private schools stating that the church does not receive the Authority To Operate (A.T.O.) from the government but from the mandate of Christ. Therefore, the State should release the JSS3 results of the students of the school.

Adiaha Obong Secondary Commercial School formerly known as Adiaha School of Demostic Science and Commerce was established in 1964 by his eminence Dominic Cardinal Ekanem of blessed memory in collaboration with the Catholic Women Organization (C.W.O.) generally known as Nka Adiaha Obong. The aim of establishing the all girls secondary school was the wholesome development of the girl child so as to promote the dignity of womanhood.

According to the principal of the school Obongawan Louisa Ime Ubong, the school has produced eminent females of repute in the society. “The school has contributed immensely to girl child education. Many of her past students have excelled in their field of endeavours. The mission and vision of establishing the school was to provide Christian based education for the girl child. The methodology was pragmatic and didactic in context and content. It was aimed at the development of the heart, the head and the hand” the principal said.

Sister Catherine Gaynor was the pioneer principal of the school. In 1964, she enrolled sixty students only. In 1966, the civil war disrupted the smooth running of the school. After the civil war, the school was taken over by the government. In 2006, the government of Obong Victor Attah returned the school to his owners, the Catholic Diocese of Uyo.